While making snowmen and throwing snowballs are enjoyable wintertime activities, getting your car stuck in the snow can quickly turn a holiday trip home into a stressful ordeal.
During the frigid winter months, becoming trapped in deep snow or on a stretch of slippery ice isn't uncommon, especially if you don't have the best tires for winter driving.
If you're facing a winter driving challenge, use these tips on how to get your car unstuck from the snow and free your vehicle in no time.
- Know What Not to Do
- Clear the Snow and Ice Around Your Car
- Turn Off Traction Control
- Rock the Vehicle
- Add Traction Under Your Tires
- Get Others to Help You Push
- Request Roadside Assistance
1. Know What Not to Do
When you are trying to figure out how to get a car unstuck from snow, there are a few things you should never do:
- Don't lose your cool: Losing your temper won't make you get out of your predicament any faster, so it's always best to remain calm.
- Don't floor the gas pedal: Digging your winter tires deeper into the snow will make it more difficult to escape. It could also cause your tires to burn up, wear on your CV or U joints in the axle or driveshaft, or give you potential transmission problems.
- Don't start the engine without clearing your tailpipe first: If the exhaust pipe is blocked, Carbon monoxide can build up inside your vehicle.
- Don't lose sight of your car's pathway out of the snow: To avoid becoming stuck again or hurtling toward something like a tree or another car, especially if your car is stuck in snow on a hill, make sure the path back to more stable ground is clear of deep snow.
- Don't go at it alone: It's always best to recruit assistance from others whenever possible. Extra eyes and helping hands will save you more time than going at it alone.
- Once you're out of the rut, don't take off like a stunt person in your car: Drive smooth and steady , you don't want to accidentally drive off into another batch of deep snow or another object.
Pro Tip: Keep an emergency kit in your car at all times, including winter items such as a snow shovel, ice scraper and a coat or blanket.
2. Clear the Snow and Ice Around Your Car
First and foremost, you'll want to remove any ice and snow from around your tires using a shovel. This will give your car room to move back and forth. This step also allows you to examine your car's undercarriage for any snow that might impede its movement.
- Remove any surrounding snow that's higher than the ground clearance of the car: Dig the snow out from the front, underneath and behind your car. You won't be able to go anywhere if you're high-centered, with snow or ice under the vehicle blocking your way out.
- Make sure your exhaust pipe is clear: If it's blocked, carbon monoxide could build up in your car when your engine is on.
- Clear a path for your tires: Make a path long enough for your wheels to drive forward and back a few feet.
Pro Tip: If you don't have a shovel handy, try using an ice scraper, screwdriver or another tool that can at least break up any ice formed below your tires. A rougher surface area will add more traction.
3. Turn Off Traction Control
Traction control is a feature that can help you keep control of your vehicle if you hit ice on the road, but leaving it on while stuck in the snow is a different story. Turning it off will allow your car's wheels to spin more excessively than when it's on, which can sometimes help you get your vehicle out of snow.
Your drive tires need traction to get unstuck from snow. The traction control button is typically located on the console or dashboard.
Pro Tip: Drive tires are the front tires on a front-wheel drive vehicle and the rear tires on rear-wheel drive. An all-wheel drive (AWD) and four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicle's tires are all drive tires.
4. Rock the Vehicle
Rocking your vehicle can help give your tires enough traction and momentum to get out of the snow. The key here is to get your wheel up on a higher position on the rut you're stuck in to build enough momentum to drive out of it.
This means you'll have to alternate between forward and reverse, usually involving some footwork using both feet , one for the brake and the other for the throttle.
- Make sure you can hear and see clearly: When you start your car, roll down your window to hear what's going on, like tires spinning.
- Straighten your tires: This will help reduce drag, especially if you're trying to drive through existing tire tracks rather than creating new tracks, which could potentially act as a wedge under the wheel.
- Move forward just a bit: In the lowest gear, release the brake and lightly apply the throttle to move forward slightly. As the car rises onto the rut, immediately brake. A vibrating brake pedal indicates the anti-lock brake system, which is normal.
- Ensure your car is fully stopped before switching gears: If you immediately change gears without stopping, you could damage the transmission. The brake pedal should not be pulsating, tires shouldn't be spinning and your engine RPM should be back to normal.
- Go into reverse: Select reverse, let your foot off the brake pedal and apply the throttle. You need balance for the throttle , not too much where you have excessive wheel spin, but not too little where you can't build up enough momentum.
- Go forward again: Put the car back in drive and apply some gas. This can tamp down loose snow and hopefully give you enough traction to get out.
Pro Tip: Take your foot off the gas if your tires spin. Excessive spinning can melt snow, creating ice that's harder to escape. In a front-wheel-drive car, turn the wheels slightly in the opposite direction to gain traction if no curbs or vehicles block your path.
5. Add Traction Under Your Tires
If you're still spinning, add some traction under your wheels. A few options include:
- Tire chains
- Block of wood
- Plastic grate
- Vehicle's floor mats
- Cardboard
- Sand
- Gravel
- Cat litter (non-clumping)
Tire chains almost always do the trick, but most people don't have them or they're not always legal depending on where you live, as they can damage the paved surface of the road.
The next best thing is using a solid object like a block of wood, but if you're in a pickle, your vehicle's floor mats will work just fine. They may be ruined afterward, but it's better than being stuck in the snow.
Before you begin, ensure there is still a cleared space for your tires to move.
- Ensure the object you use is about 2 feet long: This will make sure your tire has enough room to gain traction and momentum.
- Wedge your object under your drive tires: If you are trying to move forward, place the object in front of your drive tires. If going in reverse, place the object behind your drive tires.
- Apply the throttle cautiously: Sometimes, the wheels can cause whatever you used for traction to shoot out from under your tires, so apply the throttle carefully.
- Get tire on top of object: Build enough momentum to get your tire on top of the object.
- Apply the throttle cautiously again: You should have enough traction to build up momentum and get your vehicle moving. You need balance here , not too much where the object could get thrown out from under your wheel, but not too little where you can't build up enough momentum.
Pro Tip: If using gravel, sand or cat litter, add the traction to both sides of the tire so if you can't move in one direction, you might be able to move in the other.
6. Get Others To Help You Push
If you have other people in your car or Good Samaritans who can help, physically pushing your car out of the snow can be an easy solution.
- Safety first: Ensure you're in forward gear and the ground isn't too slippery for helpers to push.
- Gently apply throttle as helpers push: As your helpers push, gently apply the throttle to gain additional momentum.
Pro Tip: Using snow chains on your tires can also help create traction, making it easier for you and your helpers to move the car through snow and ice.
7. Request Roadside Assistance
If you can't get unstuck in the snow, contacting roadside help is your next best option. AAA members receive 24/7 roadside assistance to get their car out of the snow, plus services like jump-starting a dead battery and fixing a flat tire.
Learning how to prevent and remove ice from your car's windshield will help protect you and your vehicle from seasonal elements, ensuring safe navigation even in harsh winter weather.
Prepare For Winter Driving Season With AAA
Don't leave yourself stranded. Use AAA roadside assistance to help you navigate winter weather and get your car unstuck from snow. Our technicians are ready to rescue you from winter's challenges, getting you back on the road.
Technicians at more than 7,000 AAR facilities are factory-trained or Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certified, so you know you're getting the best service. Our shops guarantee all their work, and you'll save 10 percent on labor costs with your AAA membership.