What to Do If Your Car Gets Stuck in Snow

If your car gets stuck in snow, the first thing to do is stay with it. Rescue vehicles and snow ploughs cannot get through if abandoned cars block the road, and you are far easier to find inside your vehicle than out of it¹. Unless help is within sight, or you can see a building you know you can shelter in, stay put and let help come to you³.

Once you have decided to stay, make the car visible and keep warm. Tie something brightly coloured to the aerial, switch on the hazard lights and, if you have one, hang a distress flag from the radio aerial or window⁴. Run the engine and heater for about 10 minutes each hour, opening a window slightly while it runs and clearing snow from the exhaust pipe⁵. If you are stuck in a snow drift, switch the engine off entirely so the car does not fill with exhaust fumes⁶.

Getting moving again is often possible without help. If you do get stuck, clear the snow from the wheels and put a sack or old rug in front of the driving wheels to give grip⁷. Do not rev the engine or spin the wheels: manoeuvre gently and avoid harsh acceleration⁴. If you cannot move, stay with the car and wait.

Stay with your car unless help is within 100 yards

The single most important decision when you are stuck is whether to stay or walk. Official guidance is consistent: stay with your vehicle until help arrives, because abandoned vehicles hold up rescue vehicles and snow ploughs, and the road cannot be cleared while they are in the way¹. If you are stuck in a winter storm in a remote area, remain in the vehicle where rescuers are most likely to find you, and only leave if buildings are nearby where you can take shelter⁸.

If you must leave, do not go unless you are in sight of a suitable destination. Let help come to you³. If you do leave the vehicle to get help, make sure other drivers can see your car and that you are visible at the side of the road⁹. If you are forced to abandon the car, leave it as close to the side of the road as possible to help gritters and emergency services get through⁷.

Getting moving again: straighten the wheels and add grip under the tyres

Before you try to drive out, straighten the wheels and clear snow from around them. Put a sack or old rug in front of the driving wheels to give grip⁷. This is the standard technique recommended by councils: it gives the tyres something to bite on rather than spinning on packed snow.

Check your grip on the road surface where there is snow or ice by choosing a safe place to brake gently. If the steering feels unresponsive, this may indicate ice and your vehicle losing its grip on the road. When travelling on ice, tyres make virtually no noise¹¹. Good tyres matter: check that tyres have plenty of tread depth and are maintained at the correct pressure, because snowy conditions require good grip¹². In icy and rainy conditions it is even more important to have tyres with enough grip, so check the condition of your tyres, including the spare, for correct pressure and tread depth⁹.

If you start to skid, release the brake pedal fully or ease off the accelerator, steer into the skid, and as you straighten, steer back along the road¹³. Do not brake heavily, as it will lock your wheels and you will skid further; consider changing to a lower gear instead¹⁴. Test your brakes to ensure they are working properly before you set off¹⁵.

Do not spin the wheels or rev the engine

Spinning the wheels digs the car deeper and makes the situation worse. Use the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin, manoeuvre gently and avoid harsh braking and acceleration⁴. If you start to skid, gently ease off the accelerator and avoid braking; if braking is necessary, pump the brakes rather than slamming them on⁴.

The same principle applies on the move. Try not to brake suddenly, as it may lock up your wheels and you could skid further¹⁶. Do not brake heavily, as it will lock your wheels and you will skid further; consider changing to a lower gear¹⁴. To stop on ice or snow without locking your wheels, get into a low gear earlier than normal, allow your speed to drop and use the brake pedal gently¹⁷.

It can take 10 times as long to stop in snowy or icy conditions, so allow extra room⁴. Slow down, ease gently off the accelerator if you skid, and pump the brakes rather than slam them on¹⁸. If you are driving uphill, use dipped headlights, accelerate gently using low revs, and change to higher gears as quickly as possible¹⁹.

Make your car easy for rescuers to see

Visibility is what gets you found. If you get stuck, make the vehicle and yourself as visible as possible to other road users and rescuers, keep warm, and if you use a mobile phone, give accurate details of your location⁶. Tie something brightly coloured to your aerial during snow or ice⁴. Pull off the road, turn on the hazard lights and hang a distress flag from the radio aerial or window⁵.

If you have to leave your vehicle to get help, make sure other drivers can see your car and that you are visible at the side of the road⁹. High-visibility clothing in the boot is for exactly this moment²⁰. A fully charged mobile phone is part of the kit, and you should not waste battery power while you wait⁹.

Emergency kit to keep in the boot for snow

Getting stuck in your car in winter could be dangerous, so get a winter car kit ready²². Prepare your vehicle for driving in cold weather and consider packing a few essential items in your car's boot in case of getting stuck in cold and wintry weather²⁰. The Met Office suggests an ice scraper and de-icer, torch, paper road atlas, in-car phone charger, warm clothes and blankets, high-visibility clothing, jump leads, empty fuel can, food and drink, shovel, warning triangles and sunglasses²¹.

Traffic Scotland's list adds a pair of boots, a first-aid kit, a tow rope, a warm drink in a flask and a map for unplanned diversions²⁴. Argyll and Bute Council advises warm clothes, boots and a blanket, a fully charged mobile phone, a hot drink in a flask, energy boosting food, a pen or pencil, a first aid kit, a torch, an ice-scraper, a map and a shovel for snow⁹. Ceredigion Council lists suitable winter clothes and footwear, a blanket or sleeping bag, mobile phone, radio, torch and extra batteries, shovel, windscreen scraper, water and snacks, tow chain or rope and jump leads²⁵.

Keeping warm while you wait

Warm clothes and blankets in your vehicle will be useful if you break down, as temperatures can drop quickly and you may be stranded for some time²⁷. Run the engine and heater for about 10 minutes each hour to keep warm, opening a window slightly when the engine is running and periodically clearing snow from the exhaust pipe⁵. Move around to maintain body heat but avoid over-exertion, huddle with passengers, make sure someone stays awake to keep an eye out for rescue teams, drink fluids to avoid dehydration, and do not waste battery power⁵.

If you are heading on a long trip, make sure you have a winter car kit just in case you get stuck²⁸. Getting stuck in your car in winter could be dangerous, so get a winter car kit ready²². If you are stuck in a snow drift, switch the engine off to prevent your vehicle filling with exhaust fumes⁶.

Driving on snow to avoid getting stuck: gears, gaps and gritted roads

Most of the work of not getting stuck happens before you leave. Clear your car of any ice or snow, make sure your car is winter ready and you have a car emergency kit²⁹. Clear any snow on the roof of the vehicle before you drive off, as it can slip down over the windscreen and obscure your view²⁴. Check tyre pressure and tread depth and your spare tyre, that lights are working and clean, wipers and screen wash containing anti-freeze, that the car battery is in good condition and fully charged, and that windows and mirrors are clear of ice²⁶. Top up anti-freeze and screenwash¹³.

On the road, take care around gritters and do not be tempted to overtake⁴. Slow down and allow extra room⁴. Use dipped headlights, accelerate gently using low revs, and change to higher gears as quickly as possible¹⁹. If the fog is so severe that you are struggling to see other vehicles, switch on your fog lights¹⁶. Slow down so you can stop in the distance you can see clearly⁷.

Check your grip on the road surface where there is snow or ice by choosing a safe place to brake gently¹¹. If the steering feels unresponsive, this may indicate ice and your vehicle losing its grip on the road¹¹. If you are forced to abandon your car, leave it as close to the side of the road as possible to help gritters and emergency services get through⁷.

For more on preparing the car before winter, see our car checks before winter checklist and the wider guide to driving in snow and ice. If you are deciding whether to travel at all, our page on whether to delay your journey sets out the trade-offs, and how much longer stopping distances are on ice explains the 10 times figure in more detail.