5 Tips To Get Your Car Out of the Snow This Winter

One of the worst parts of the winter is waking up to a car lodged in the snow. If you’re having trouble freeing your tires from the ice, use these five tips to get your car out of the snow this winter.

Clear the Snow Around the Tire

The first thing you’ll want to do is clear the path around the tire. Using a snow shovel, try to remove as much snow as possible around the car. If the snow sits in front of the tires, it’ll act like tire blocks, keeping your vehicle stuck in place. Once the tires are free, you’ll need to make a path towards a drivable road in the snow.

Rock the Car

You can use the forward-back technique to pad the snow down around your tires and help give you traction. First, get in your car, and roll the car forward with a little bit of gas. You don’t want to rev the engine; just inch the vehicle ahead. After going along for a foot, put the car in reverse, and go backward for a couple of feet. Hopefully, now you should have enough traction to pull the car away. However, you should stop immediately if the tires start sliding.

Get a Push

Sometimes, the best technique is to use manual labor. If you can get the help of a couple of friends, have them give you a push as you apply the gas. Their extra force should be enough to dislodge your vehicle from the snow.

Utilize Snow Chains

If your car gets stuck in the snow, it might be time to get out snow chains. Snow chains are valuable tools that give cars an extra boost of traction for the entire drive. However, you should only use the chains if the streets are also snow covered. For plowed roads, you’ll just have to try and get the tires wedged free.

Upgrade to Snow Tires

If you find yourself living in an area that frequently experiences winter driving conditions, it’s a smart idea to make sure you have snow tires you can switch over to during the icy season. The improved traction of snow tires allows for confident driving on snow, but the tires can still drive on asphalt, unlike metal chains. To make sure the tires you’re getting are the right ones for your vehicle, we suggest a quick trip to your local Commercial Tire. They’ll fit your car for the right tires for your driving conditions and make sure you’re road ready. With these five tips to get your car out of the snow this winter, you should be able to free your vehicle from any pile of ice this season. For more tips on how to drive safely this winter, check out our winter driving blog here.