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With your car stuck in snow, you can’t always count on a small crew of helpers to push or pull you out, so you’ll need to know the basics of how to get yourself free from this frozen trap.

The key is avoidance, but let’s assume it’s too late for that. Right now, let’s focus on how to handle a car stuck in snow so you can get out of trouble and back on your way — without getting out of your vehicle.

The basic technique for getting unstuck is to “rock” the car back and forth until you’ve created a “runway” for yourself so you can either go forward or back yourself out of the jam. Here is how to “rock your car” out of snow:

1. Select a path to create a way out of the deep snow. Your path could be in front of you or behind you. Make certain the path doesn’t lead into deeper snow, ruts, patches of ice or other situations that can add to the difficulty of the situation.
2. Keep your wheels as straight as possible to reduce resistance to movement. It’s okay to turn them gently, but don’t expect to be successful with anything more than a quarter turn on the steering wheel.
3. Alternate between gently going backwards and forwards to pack down the snow and make a pathway for your vehicle. Make note of how well your car travels within the “runway” so you can determine when it’s time to “make a run for it.”
4. Continue on your way by slightly more aggressive travel that takes you out of the snow once you’re convinced that you can break free.

Bear in mind these precautions when employing this technique:

• Don’t make sudden movements that cause your wheels to lose traction. Don’t spin your wheels as this only creates a more slippery surface and tends to make the car drift where you don’t want it to go. Make your movements slow, easy, steady and deliberately controlled.
• Keep in mind that you’re trying to create an ever longer path of travel for your car. This path will allow you to build up sufficient momentum (in one direction or another) so you can break free of the “snow trap” you’ve managed to get yourself into.
• Apply the brakes to stop the wheels from spinning the instant you detect they are spinning and you aren’t making continued progress in creating the “runway” or breaking free.

If you practice this technique, you’ll soon be comfortable with how to do it successfully when you get your car stuck in snow.