With winter and the winter weather fast approaching, it is important to be prepared for all situations. One being how to get your vehicle unstuck after a slide off.
Here are our Xpert tips on how to get a vehicle out of a ditch:
- Dig away as much snow and ice as possible. It’s a good idea to always keep a shovel in car in case of these emergencies to make this easier.
- Sprinkle sand, cat litter or sand to increase traction in front of the driving tires (the rear tires for a rear-wheel drive car and the front for a front-wheel drive car). You can also use your floormats. Your floormats will most likely be damaged in the process so used those as your last resort.
- Turn the steering wheel to straighten the wheels as much as possible. Be mindful of any obstructions in front your car such as fire hydrants or road signs.
- Put the car in Low Gear.
- Gently accelerate out of the ditch.
Here are some extra tips to help you in these situations:
- On days where the weather is bad, let someone know where you are going in case you slide off. If they don’t hear that you’ve made it there, they will know where to go to find you.
- Take high traffic roads. In bad weather, it is not wise to take a shortcut through a back road. There is a higher chance the main roads will be plowed and if something happens, more people will be driving by who can help.
- If you slide off, don’t stand by the road. If you slid off, there is a good chance someone else will too.