Things You'll Need:
- Cat litter
- Branches
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Step 1
The best defense for this kind of problem is to be prepared ahead of time. Keep a bag of kitty litter in the car for traction. It helps a lot in snow or ice.
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Step 2
Use whatever you can find if you have no kitty litter. Tree branches are great for traction—just make sure that you aren't tearing up someone's property to get them. You can also use pieces of old carpeting, or your own car mats if you're really desperate. Sand, gravel or sandpaper will also work.
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Step 3
If you have front-wheel drive, put the branches, litter or whatever you're using for traction under those tires. For a car with four-wheel drive, put them in the front first and then, if you have enough, put them in the back, too.
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Step 4
Point the car wheel straight and try to rock the car. Move from reverse to drive quickly. If that doesn't work after 8 or 10 times, give it up. You'll dig yourself in deeper if you keep it up too long—and you can also ruin your transmission.
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Step 5
Try to let just a little air out of the tires. That way they can grab a little more traction sometimes. Make sure that you don't forget to put air in again as soon as you can, though.
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Step 6
Find branches and lay them in front of the tires and behind the tires. This is not always possible, but if you are near woods it can be a great last resort.
