Getting Your Car out of Snow
Friday, February 12th, 2010How to maneuver your car out of a snowy spot.
When getting your car out of a snowy spot, the object is to keep traction (to keep a grip on the road to avoid slipping or spinning). You also want to avoid overworking your engine or damaging your tires.
After shoveling as much snow as you can from around the car (and making sure your exhaust pipe is clear of snow and ice), put the car in drive and go forward slowly, as far as you can go, maybe only an inch or two (as you would if you were in a tight parking spot), then put the car in reverse and go back as far as you can, if only an inch or two. Repeatedly drive forward slightly until you can go no further in that direction and then reverse the car and go back slightly, until you finally get no more resistance from the snow, and are able to move over or through the snow, maintaining traction. You can expect to do this four or five times before you can turn your wheel and get out of a parking space.
The object of this technique is to avoid spinning your tires. Do not force the car to go forward or back anymore than it can, or your tires will start to spin. If your tires make a weird noise, that means you are trying to force the car to go further than it can, which causes the tires to spin. You don’t want to spin the wheels because you can cause damage to your car. So, if you hear a weird noise, stop and try to go in the opposite direction. By going back and forth, inch by inch, you move snow slightly, while keeping traction. This technique works well even for SUV’s with 4-wheel drives.
Getting out of a snowy parking space is just one hurdle. Check your local government site and AAA.com for specific safety tips for your area. Check trafficland.com for weather and traffic conditions in your local vicinity. Most importantly, stay safe. If you are not familiar with driving in snow, it is best to stay home, if possible, or use public transportation or car-pool with someone who is experienced.
© Found Treasure Publishing 2010
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