1. Slip smart
If the car has come to a stop and is no longer moving, there is no point in putting pressure on the gas. The drive wheels dig even deeper and the car sits on its belly.
The only situation where it makes sense to do this is if the ice cover is thin. And you can try to melt it down and scrape it down to rough asphalt. This is what heavy truck drivers sometimes do on slippery but short climbs.
2. Turn the steering wheel
When the car skids and cannot move, you need to turn the steering wheel to the right and left. Perhaps the slipping wheel will catch on and the car will get out of the snow captivity.
Of course, this advice only applies to front-wheel drive vehicles. Owners of rear-wheel drive vehicles should straighten the steered wheels to reduce movement resistance.
The rear wheel has gnawed through the snow, but the car cannot move.
3. Rolling
When the car has been able to move at least a few tens of centimeters, you can roll out of the track. The easiest way to do this is on cars with a manual transmission.
Carefully dose the thrust so that you can climb the edge of the hole dug by the wheel without slipping. Then release the gas and squeeze the clutch, remove traction from the drive wheels – the car rolls back.
By alternately pressing and releasing the pedals, you can get into the rhythm as the swing amplitude begins to increase. And at some point the car jumps out of the hole.
There will be no dynamic build-up on cars with automatic transmissions. You have to switch on “drive” and “reverse” alternately.
4. Decrease the tire pressure
At the same time, the contact area between the tire and the road increases, and the car comes out of the hole dug in the snow much more confidently.
You can lower the pressure to 1.0–1.2 bar. With less, there is a high risk of disassembling the wheel.
As soon as you get out of the snow captivity, the tire pressure should be increased to the required one.
5. Dig under
With a shovel in the trunk, you significantly increase the chances of getting out of the snowfall. It is necessary to dig up the snow on all wheels of the car in the direction of the intended movement. Don’t forget to put the shovel in the trunk and make your way along the track you built.
6. Sprinkle
In winter it is a good idea to carry a small (2-4 kg) bag of granite or marble chips with you. By sprinkling under the slipping wheel and (just in case) making small paths for the drive wheels, you can easily overcome a slippery spot.
You can find crumbs in special containers that are on the tracks before the climbs.
7. Put under the wheels
If a wheel slips in a small hollow and the car does not hang on its belly, it makes sense to put something perpendicular. It can be a floor mat or even a rag.
The grip of the fabric on ice or snow is greater than that of a tire.
Those who often leave the city need special snow ladders. With such devices, even a long stretch of bad road can be overcome. True, you are tormented by rearranging the ladders.
8. Jack up
If there is no way to increase clearance in the car and one of the drive wheels has already dug a deep hole, you can jack up this side of the car. If the wheel can be lifted, at least more snow can be thrown into the hole and compacted. This will allow you to drive off as the wheel will no longer be deeply buried.
9. Wear bracelets
Unlike snow chains, wheel bracelets do not take up much space in the trunk and are easier to install. By attaching only one per wheel, you can avoid serious problems.
The only drawback of such an installation is strong shocks in the car’s transmission, which shorten the life of parts.
If you have a more serious obstacle to overcome (for example, a long, slippery climb), you will need three or four bracelets per wheel. This is necessary to ensure a confident hook and to ensure that the car does not drag to the side. True, in terms of laboriousness, such an operation will be comparable to installing chains.
Podsypanie sand under the wheels did not help. I have the bracelets.
10. Push out
You can turn to passers-by for help – people are usually happy to respond to a request to push the car. Just make sure they don’t overdo it – don’t dent thin metal on the body panels and don’t break the lighting equipment.
11. Pull
Often a car standing on a hard road can “pull out” a crossover that has slipped two wheels into a roadside ditch.
Any (not stuck) car fits into the role of a tugboat. Only a long and reliable cable is needed for the tugboat to pick up speed for a tug.
By the way, a horse is an excellent tug in the countryside. It was she who once pulled out my UAZ-469, which slipped right into a roadside ditch. That’s one horsepower for you!
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You can even get stuck in your own backyard. The main thing in such a situation is not to be nervous. And try different ways to get out of a predicament.
How to get out of a snowdrift – 11 useful (and practical) tips