How to Get a Car Out of a Ditch

Entering a ditch you're unable to exit is cause for a really bad day. Almost all motorists will have to get a car out of a ditch at one time or another, whether the car is stuck in mud, snow or just plain stuck. If you find yourself spinning your wheels in a ditch, don't dial that tow truck just yet. There is a less expensive possibility to explore. Read on to learn how to get a car out of a ditch.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Straighten your wheels and drag sand, mud or snow away from the areas surrounding your tires.
2. Determine which tires are drive tires. In most cases the front tires are drives. If you're uncertain, have a passenger watch which tires spin when you touch the gas. If you're alone, put the car into park, get out and examine the ground to determine which wheels were spinning.
3. Place an item your tires can grip directly behind the drive tires. Floor mats can work, or cardboard, wood--even sticks and branches from trees near the ditch.
4. Put the car into reverse. Feather the gas almost imperceptibly and then ease off. The car will rock backward slightly and then lull forward again. Repeat this process until the car achieves a gentle 'rocking' rhythm. The idea is to barely touch the gas, rather than floor it. Once you're stuck, flooring the car is a useless exercise--you'll only dig the vehicle deeper into a rut. If you're stuck in snow, flooring it can also create an ice slick directly beneath your tires, making it that much more difficult to remove the stuck car from the ditch.
5. Have passengers push from the front of the vehicle as soon as it begins to inch backward. Don't have them help while rocking; someone can be accidentally hurt. Allow the car to 'walk' backward and don't turn your wheels until the car has firm traction and is moving smoothly. Steer the car up out of the ditch and on to the shoulder of the road.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't have far to drive once you're out of the ditch, lowering tire pressure by letting some of the air out can increase tire surface area and give the vehicle greater traction. Just remember to air the tires back up again.
• ‘Rocking' the car is a tactic few people perform correctly. Always touch the gas pedal as lightly as possible and with the rhythm of the car for greatest effect.
• This trick won't always get the car out of the ditch. Numerous circumstances can render it trapped until a tow truck arrives. If by rocking the car you continue digging deeper into the snow, mud or sand, it's time to hang it up and call for a tow.