You have a car stuck in traffic and you are wondering what to do. Here are some useful tips to get you out of the jam and back on the road.
First, turn off your traction control system. This will allow you to gently accelerate forward in tracks made by the snow. Be sure to re-engage your traction control after completing this task. In the event your car cannot accelerate, you should back up to a safe distance. Once you have done that, give the vehicle a good shake to loosen up any frozen snow on the wheels.
Next, you can start working on a plan to get your car unstuck. A good plan should include having a shovel or other snow removal tool ready to go. Depending on the severity of your situation, you can also consider removing some of the snow from the front grill of the car to reduce the load on the engine.
Finally, you can try laying down some of the floor mats that are normally placed in front of the drive tires. However, be careful to avoid damaging these floor mats by using traction materials. For instance, if you have an ice melter on hand, you can lay it down in the front of the drive tires to help tamp down the snow.
The old “keep your hands and feet off the steering wheel” trick is not enough in some situations. To avoid this, you can place a piece of plywood down in front of your drive tires. If you do not have a piece of plywood in your car, you can try putting down a piece of cardboard. Keep in mind that this is not the best idea since the traction material might shoot out when you accelerate.
While the aforementioned tips will certainly not fix your car’s problems, they will definitely get you to where you need to be. Another important tip is to be sure to have a fully charged battery on hand. It is possible that your car is not working due to a dead battery. Alternatively, you could try switching to a low range gearing. With the car in low gear, it will be easier to accelerate out of the snow.
In addition to these tips, you should take your vehicle in for a full service and maintenance check. Your car may have some electrical problems, a broken transmission shift cable, or a defective brake light switch. Also, make sure that your tire pressures are up to par and that your tires are in good shape. Lastly, you might want to buy a snow shovel and keep it in your trunk in case you need to dig yourself out.