Winter driving requires the driver to have certain experience and readiness for various unforeseen situations, one of which is bogging down the car in a snowdrift. For beginners who have just left the walls of a driving school, this science is very difficult to understand. Most often this occurs after a fresh snowfall and on roads with low traffic.
In order to reduce the chance of getting stuck in the snow, the car should be prepared in advance. Before driving on a snowy road, reduce the tire pressure to 1 atmosphere. This increases the contact area of the wheels with pavement and prevents slippage. A greater decrease in tire pressure is fraught with spontaneous disassembly, so this should not be allowed. In the trunk, you should put a shovel and, if possible, a couple of boards (they can come in handy).
Paradoxically, new Winter tires have a greater predisposition to burying in a snowdrift. When slipping, a fresh tread quickly digs a hole under it, burying the car. old rubber digging snow is not so intense. Start off on fresh snow as smoothly as possible, avoiding slippage of the drive wheels. If the layer of freshly fallen snow exceeds 15 centimeters, it is not superfluous to dig it up about half a meter in front of the wheels. But, despite all the measures taken, any driver can get stuck in a snowdrift.
What to do if the car is still stuck in a snowdrift? Ideal in this situation would be to have a tractor nearby, but this is not always the case. However, you can try to get out of the snowdrift on your own. To do this, crush and dig up the snow in front of the wheels, making a kind of rut. When driving, do not allow the wheels to slip. If they still slip, you should turn on reverse gear and try to move the car back. Next, you should try to get out of the snowdrift by "rocking" the car in first gear. If this does not help, and the driving wheels of the car got to the ice, you can try to put wooden boards stored in advance under them and try to drive along them. In the absence of boards, you can try to melt the ice under the drive wheels by sprinkling it with food salt or watering it with a small amount. antifreeze liquid for glass washer. Another way to get out of a snowdrift is to put snow chains on the drive wheels. In the absence of chains, you can use tow rope by wrapping them around the wheel.
Majority cars they do not have a differential lock, and it is rather difficult to get out of a snowdrift when one of the wheels loses contact with the road surface. In this case, boards, branches, old rags, etc., should be placed under the wheel so that the wheel has something to catch on. It is much easier to get the car out of the snowdrift if a couple of people can come to the rescue who can push the car.
In the case when there is nowhere to wait for help, you will have to push the car out yourself. In this case, you should dig out the snow more carefully, try to reduce the pressure in the tires as much as possible, trample the snow under the bottom of the car with the lateral swing of the car, and only after that try to smoothly drive out of the snowdrift.
An alternative, more time-consuming way to get out of a snowdrift is as follows: use a jack to raise the car and under the freed driving wheel place non-slip material (e.g. tree branches). In the absence of non-slip material, you can try to make a new crust of snow under the wheel. The procedure should be carried out with the other drive wheel. If the car sat on the bottom, the same should be done with the remaining wheels. After that, you should slowly and smoothly leave the snowdrift. At the same time, you should ensure that the front wheels are in a straight position - this will increase the chance to free yourself from snow captivity.
The main thing on loose ground is not to slip. When scrolling, the wheel works like a cutter, stopping moving the car. It throws the soil out from under itself and burrows even deeper. Therefore, when slipping, it is easy to dig under and bury the car even more strongly along the axis. The worst will begin when he sits on the bottom or on the levers. Then you can only tear the car off the spot with a tractor.
All this is true for the snowdrift. If at least one wheel buzzes, and the tachometer needle creeps up, you must immediately throw the gas pedal. There will still be no sense from slipping.
The point is that in modern transmission the driving wheels are never connected to each other. They hang on individual shafts and rotate with different speeds. And the shafts are connected in a tricky device called a differential. It is needed to improve the handling of the car in corners. The peculiarity of the differential is such that when one of the wheels is blocked in the mud, this mechanism directs the entire moment to the freely rotating other wheel.
Therefore, no matter how much you trample the pedal, but the thrust from engine will go on this "useless" wheel. The car won't move at the end. Therefore, a number of methods are used to prevent slipping.
Braking with gas
If the snowdrift is small and at least somehow the wheel clings to it, the brake pedal will help to defeat the slip. If you learn to press it with your left foot with simultaneous and metered gas supply, you can artificially simulate the operation of an interwheel differential. Such devices are put on SUVs. On harsh all-terrain vehicles with a mechanical transfer case, they are turned on with a heavy handle. Locks allow you to connect two wheels on the same axle into a single whole. Then the shaft will vaguely resemble a bar with pancakes at the ends. If one end is stuck, then the second will pull it out by inertia.
Braking with simultaneous light throttle prevents one of the wheels in the snow from slipping, and the gas supply gives it traction to climb to freedom. The main thing in this filigree operation is not to overdo it and not to put too much pressure on the pedals. If you approach the matter without delicacy, you can burn the pads or ruin the clutch.
By the way, the braking method is also used by electronics on modern crossovers. With the help of a short-term tightening of the pads, the computer does not allow the differential to turn on and revives the wheels that have become staked.
Sprinkle sand
If this does not help, or left foot braking is not yet well developed, then another method is suitable: defeating slip by increasing friction. Wheels only skid on low friction surfaces. If you sprinkle ice (or rolled snow) with sand or grated granite chips, then the grip will be much better, and the car will start moving without problems. But where to get them in the yard? Handy things will come in handy: rags, branches, boards. For example, some drivers pour dry pellets from cat litter under the wheels. Granules, among other things, are able to collect moisture and dry the surface, which also plays into the hands of the driver.
improvised caterpillars
If the slide continues, you can resort to the "tank effect" and change the surface on which you must pass vehicle. This is done with the help of caterpillars. Tanks and tractors with the help of caterpillars can move over very slippery roads and marshy soils. IN private car the role of temporary caterpillars can play rubber mats from the salon. They have rows of hooks with inside that helps to defeat the ice. If you gently slip the mat under the drive wheels, the car will get the right surface to start. He will start moving, and then, gaining speed by inertia, he will also move through a snowdrift. The main thing when starting off on the mats is not to overdo it with the gas and start slowly so as not to pull them out from under the wheels and start the scraps a few meters back.
Lower the pressure
If this method does not work, try combining it with lowering tire pressure. The fewer atmospheres in the wheel, the larger the contact patch of the wheels, therefore, the tire digs less into the snow and better withstands the pressure of the car on the surface. On wheels low pressure special snow scooters and all-terrain vehicles ride on the snow. The same effect is partially applicable to ordinary car. If you unscrew the cap and, pressing the nipple, release the pressure to 0.5-0.7 atmospheres, the car will crawl much better over the muddy porridge.
walk backwards
There is another way to get out of the snow trap - this is movement in reverse. Usually the edges of the snow bank created by the grader are frozen and it is difficult to slip through them. With the help of a shovel, you can gouge the passage, but the remains of the embankment still remain. When moving, the car jumps on them, lifts its nose and slides down. The wheels cannot lift the heavy limber with the motor and transmission hanging from it up the icy hillock.
Therefore, you can try to jump out of the trap in reverse. When reversing the drive wheels front wheel drive car do not climb up, but rather push the stern in the direction of travel. The weight of the car shifts a little, the drive axle is even more loaded and pressed down to the ground. And the more pressure on the wheels, the higher their grip on the road. When the stern passes the slippery mound, you can step on the gas so that the front end jumps over it by inertia. But this method is only valid for front-wheel drive cars.
How to get out of the snow - tricks that will help you drive more confidently in winter.
How to get out of the snow, start on ice, overcome snowdrifts - knowing these tricks will make it easier winter driving. One of the main problems that many motorists refuse to drive in winter is the fear of not coping with difficulties. winter roads- skidding on rolled snow or ice, getting stuck in a snowdrift, when leaving a parking lot, etc. Meanwhile, the simplest winter tricks, backed up by skills, will help overcome fear and not give up the car when you need it most - in cold weather, blizzards, slush. 
So let's get on the ice. Modern winter tires, even non-studded ones, with proper handling of the controls, allow you to move off confidently and safely even on areas of bare ice or polished to a shine rolled snow. The most important thing in such cases is to release the clutch pedal as smoothly as possible. Do not let the engine develop high revs- the lower they are, the better. On cars with an “automatic” gearbox, you need to press on the gas as smoothly as possible, if the automatic transmission has winter mode(W) or the ability to force second gear - do it. Also, from the second gear, you can get under way on the "mechanics" - this reduces the likelihood of wheel slip. 
If slipping fails to start after several attempts, try reversing and trying again in a new area where the snow or ice has not yet been polished by your wheels. The holes that your drive wheels dug under you in the ice (or rolled snow) can prevent starting. Getting out of them is usually not difficult, you need to rock the car, alternately quickly including first and then reverse gears. After several such “swings”, catch the moment when the car moves, for example, forward, turn on the first gear and, using the force of its inertia, leave the hole forward.
All of the above does not apply to cases of hill starting, which can really be a problem even for experienced drivers. Therefore, avoid parking lots, leaving which you will need to move uphill. If nevertheless this happens, you will need a small portion of sand (screenings, slag, earth), which will have to be poured under the drive wheels, creating a non-slip path one and a half to two meters long for them. Usually they are enough to start and pick up speed for further movement.
It can also be problematic for an inexperienced driver to get out of loose snow. Methods similar to those described above will help you get out. If, having started, the car immediately gets stuck in the snow, do not let it burrow, stop slipping and return (or slide) in reverse gear back to the starting point. There, turn on the first one and, gaining as much speed as possible, move forward again.
Using the force of its inertia, the car will move forward a little more. By repeating this operation several times, you can roll the track back and forth, paving your way for a more or less long acceleration and a decisive assault in the right direction. It may happen that, while skidding, you dug holes in the snow under the wheels, and so deep that it is impossible to lengthen them for subsequent acceleration. Then you have to work a little with a shovel (mount, branch): lengthen the hole, turning it into a track at least half a meter long, so that the car can accelerate at least a little and drive onto a flat surface.
Snowdrifts on the road should be overcome immediately, firmly holding the steering wheel and not slowing down the engine speed. The main thing, however, is to first make sure that in front of you is still a straight section of a swept road, and not a ditch, a turn or an intersection with high curbs. And one more important remark - immediately, on a relatively high speed you can only overcome those deep snowdrifts into which your car will fall with both wheels. If the snowdrift is “unsymmetrical” - it covers only one part of the road, or of very different depths, you should be wary of turning the car due to the fact that the wheels of one side (say, right) will meet more resistance than the other (left). It is better to overcome such snow marks in stages, breaking the road back and forth in short sections, as recommended above for leaving snowdrifts.
Almost every motorist at least once during the winter gets into a skid. The main thing in this case is not to get lost, not to throw the steering wheel and not to put pressure on the brakes sharply. At the very first moment, when the back of the car “floated” to the side while moving forward, you need to turn the steering wheel in the direction of skidding with a short movement and immediately return it back to the center position. At the same time, release the accelerator.
The car stabilizes by leveling off on the road. However, if the corrective steering action turned out to be not very accurate (and this is likely to happen the first time), the skid may repeat, but in the other direction. And again you need to turn the steering wheel in the direction of skidding. This movement of the steering wheel should become automatic for you. To develop such a skill, it is worth a little practice on an empty snowy area. large sizes and preferably without any borders.
It should not be thought that almost every winter trip can end in such problems. They may only occur on your first winter trips. However, by overcoming these difficulties on your own, you will gain experience that will help you avoid such situations next time.
Get ready to swing the shovel. Punching a snowdrift with a bumper is not best idea, unless you have an SUV prepared for such work. When you start to drive out, the already compacted snow will be under the belly of the car and make it very difficult to move. Let me remind you that packed snow is much more difficult to remove than freshly fallen snow. Do not put it off until later, even if the car is not needed right now. You may need it when you have no time to dig it out.
If there is no suitable shovel at home or in the car, ask your neighbors or the janitor. By the way, you can offer the janitor and earn extra money if you don’t want or don’t have the opportunity to take on a shovel on your own.
Now you need to determine exactly where you will go, and dig in this direction. Before starting the movement, the car stands, so as not to harm the engine, since the load during the start will be higher than usual. Yes, and the windows must be clean in order to see neighboring cars and passers-by and not to hook anyone.
Is the car not moving forward? Maybe there is an opportunity to roll back. So it will be easier to remove the snow in front of the car, then to take acceleration. You can use the "rocking" method - that is, rock the car in first and reverse gears. This is possible even with automatic transmission. You just need to act quickly and catch the rhythm of the oscillations.
To make it easier for the car to move, put the wheels straight ahead. If there is clearly not enough grip, try to find it by shaking the handlebars at small angles when trying to start. To improve traction, you can sprinkle reagent under the wheels (bringing in a shovel from the road) or even cat litter. In completely hopeless cases, you can slightly lower the wheels so that the contact patch with the road surface increases and thereby improves traction. True, this method can only be used if there is a compressor in the trunk. After all, for further movement, the wheels should be re-inflated to the values recommended by the manufacturer.
A little lack of momentum to get out? Feel free to ask neighbors or passers-by to push the car. They rarely refuse. And it turned out to leave - offer your help to the drivers who remained in captivity. With well-coordinated work in pairs, it is possible to rescue the car much faster than alone.
If necessary, check the security of the fastening and ask the tow driver to start moving smoothly and follow your signals.
Stopping by difficult area roads, slow down, switch to downshift and move carefully, without stopping. Driving with caution means that you need to consider several factors:
- flux density;
- road condition;
- difficult climatic conditions;
- the capabilities of your vehicle.
Having stopped, the car can get bogged down in the snow, it will take a long time to dig it out.
Punching the road on the virgin snow, play the steering wheel, turning left and right. This increases the possibility of catching on the ground and creates a rollover of the car, which can improve the grip of the wheels with the road. When driving in a rut, always hold the steering wheel firmly so that it does not knock out.
If the car is stuck in the snow, then do not fuss - turn on the emergency gang, get out of the car and assess the situation. Place an emergency sign if necessary. Once you are sure that you can leave on your own, leave. If not, first remove the snow from exhaust pipe- so as not to suffocate with exhaust gases.
What to do if you get stuck in the snow by car
Clear a small area around the wheels and, if necessary, remove the snow from under the car - while the car is hanging "on the belly", there is no point in skidding. Disable traction control and system exchange rate stability, since they will only interfere with leaving the snowdrift. Always remember - as you drove in, so go out, because it's easier to leave along the already created track.
Right Action
Take away first loose snow in front of the car so that the wheels get the right grip. After clearing, try to move the car forward, and then drive back. Thus, the tires will make a small track for acceleration. By moving the car back and forth, there is momentum that will help you get out. But here you need to be careful not to burn the clutch.
Releasing tire pressure
You can also try depressurizing the drive tires a bit to increase the grip area.
Wheel grip
If there is a rope or cable, they can be wound around the drive wheels, this will significantly increase the grip of the wheels on the road. As an option, traction control chains can be put on the wheels, it was not for nothing that they were invented several decades ago. Use whatever you can put under the wheels, boards or branches. Alternatively, you can sprinkle the road with cat litter or sand.
On the machine
If your car is equipped with an automatic transmission, you can simulate the swing and drive out of the snow. Turn on “drive”, move the car forward as far as possible, stop, apply the brake, put it in reverse gear, keep it on the brake. When the gear is engaged, take your foot off the brake, gently add gas, drive back. And so several times - in this way, inertia appeared, which will help you get out of the snow captivity. On the machine, the main thing is not to rush, not to slip and not to make rash sudden movements.
With rope
If the car is pulled out with a cable, then you need to be careful with the gas pedal - the car, catching the wheels on the ground, will burn to jump. Do not make sudden movements, as you can tear off the bumper or get hit on the glass with a detached hook. When performing such actions, follow the safety regulations.
Proper tire installation
Be careful when changing your car winter tires. Make sure the tire shop installs it correctly. The direction of mounting the rubber is indicated by an arrow on it, and there is also a mark, internal or external. Despite this seemingly simple rule, there are often cars with incorrectly installed tires.
Addition
Make it a rule to always carry a cable and a jack with you, and in winter period- and a shovel. Follow not only weather conditions but also for the level of fuel in the car tank.
Video tips on how to get out if stuck in the snow
