We never plan on getting stuck in the mud or snow, but unfortunately, it does happen. The most important thing you can do is to be prepared. Planning ahead will help you get out of that situation immediately! That means keeping a few things in your vehicle and also developing a few good habits! First habit is to make sure your tires are inflated, in good shape and not too worn out. This is a good habit every driver must have, to keep themselves and others on the road safe. Also making sure to have the appropriate tires for the weather condition. Having winter tires is so important, we’ve actually written a whole article about that, you can check it out here
A few things to keep in your car are a shovel, a bag of snow melter such as rock/salt, a few boards and a fully charged cell phone! Some of these are pretty self-explanatory, but why keep boards in the car? Read below how to get out of the mud and it will all make sense. A shovel and snow melter is so important, it can get you out of so many situations and are really easy to drive around. And of course, a fully charged cell phone. It’s essential to have a way of communication in case you are stuck somewhere.
Staying calm
Before getting into the details on how to get unstuck, a very important thing to keep in mind if you do find yourself in a bad scenario is to keep calm. You’ll only make it worse on yourself if you start panicking! This is where planning ahead will help keep the emotions at bay and stay calm.
How to get out of snow
Being stuck in the snow is no fun, and many drivers actually make it worse by overreacting. The best thing you can do is very lightly press on the gas pedal. If you accelerate a lot and make too much traction you might cause ice under the tires. If your tires start spinning due to the ice, stop and change the directions of your tires. By changing direction you ensure you aren’t making more ice and making it worse. Some transmission have a winter mode option, if you have that option use it. Now if you are driving a manual car, accelerate slowly while using the second gear. You’ll need to try a handful of times in order to hit solid ground.
If that method did not work, it’s time to take the shovel you prepared and start making a path, we recommend creating a path of several feet in order to get some momentum. Once you hate the path cleared out, take out the snow melting rock/sand and sprinkle it around your path very generously! This will ensure to melt the snow or ice and help your vehicle get traction. Remember, if your tires are stuck, stop and more their direction. Also, using some of the rock/sand to melt the snow or ice around your tires might help.
How to get out of sand or mud
Getting out of sand or mud is a little bit different. You’ll need to create room for your tires so you can manoeuvre them. The way to achieve that is to move your steering wheel back and forth to create space. Once you have enough space, gently press the gas pedal and move as slowly as possible. If you’ve tried this method and the situation only got worse try the next method.
Release a small amount of air from your tires to increase the surface area. Then dig out an space around your tires and place something underneath. It could be boards (that you’ve prepared in advance), branches or even car mats. This method gives your vehicle a surface to get traction on and get out of the mud. Gently press on the gas pedal and move your vehicle very slowly until you get some traction. When you gain traction, you’ll be able to accelerate out of the mud.
After getting unstuck
Make sure you remember to inflate your tires. Also it’s important to drive slowly in case there is any excess mud, driving slowly will help shed the mud away. We also recommend stopping by for an inspection of the vehicle. Making sure there wasn’t any damage done to your car, such as break lines! Many vehicles tend to get their break lines damaged in this kind of situation.
The Centre for All Your Car Needs
Peter’s Auto is the centre for all your car needs with over 20 years of experience in repairing a variety of cars along with up to date mechanics and equipment. Our knowledgeable and helpful staff will take care of all your auto service and repair needs.
Our shop is located in Kitchener, ON. We proudly serve the following areas: Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph.
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