Stuck at the end of the driveway: getting a car out of snow safely

Is it safe to run the engine while the car is stuck?

Only if the exhaust is clear. The CDC, NHTSA and AAA all give the same warning: snow blocking the tailpipe can let carbon monoxide build up inside the car while the engine runs. A car backed against a snowbank, or sitting in a drift after a storm, can have a buried tailpipe you never see from the driver's seat.

• Walk to the back of the car and clear the tailpipe before you start the engine.
• Keep it clear while you dig. Snow you throw behind the car lands right there.
• Run the engine only as long as you need it. NHTSA's advice for a stalled car is to run it sporadically, just long enough to stay warm.
• Never run the car in the garage. The CDC warns against running a vehicle in an attached garage even with the garage door open.

How do I get my car unstuck?

1. Clear the tailpipe. Every time, first.
2. Dig out the drive wheels. Shovel snow from in front of and behind each tire, in the direction you want to go. If the car is resting on the plow ridge, clear the snow under it too; a car sitting on packed snow puts less of its weight on the tires.
3. Straighten the front wheels. Turned wheels push snow instead of rolling over it.
4. Ease onto the gas. AAA's winter advice is to apply the gas slowly to regain traction, because extra gas on snow just spins the wheels.
5. Add traction. Sand, non-clumping cat litter or traction mats under the drive wheels, as AAA's winter kit suggests. Our sand, salt or kitty litter guide explains why sand grips better than clay litter.
6. Check your owner's manual before rocking. Rocking means easing forward a little, then back, to pack a short track. Do it only if your manual allows it, and stop if the wheels just spin.
7. Set traction control the way your manual says for a stuck car, and follow it.

Why do cars get stuck at the end of the driveway?

The ridge the road plow leaves across the apron is usually the heaviest snow on the property: compacted, often wet, sometimes refrozen road slush. A car that rolls easily down the cleared driveway can stop dead on it, or end up with its front wheels over and its underside on top. That is why the order matters: clear the ridge before you try to drive through it. The end-of-driveway guide explains why the ridge appears and where that snow can legally go.

When should I stop and call for help?

Stop if:

• The wheels spin without moving the car after a few gentle tries.
• The car starts sliding toward the street, a ditch or another car.
• The car is resting on the ridge and you cannot clear underneath it.
• You smell exhaust inside the car.
• You are getting exhausted. AAA and NHTSA both warn against overexerting yourself digging out, and if you have heart disease or its risk factors, read shoveling and your heart before you pick up a shovel.

Then call roadside assistance or a towing service, and expect a wait in a big storm. AAA says the surge in calls and the hazardous conditions during major winter storms delay its response times.

How do I avoid getting stuck next time?

• Clear the ridge first, before the car needs to go anywhere.
• Park smart on storm nights. Use the garage, or park near the top of the driveway, so you are not starting at the bottom of a drift. Our guide to moving your car for snow removal covers how parking affects a plow visit.
• Respect the slope. A steep drive needs its own plan; see steep driveways in snow and ice.
• Keep fuel up. AAA suggests at least half a tank at all times in winter.
• Stock the car. NHTSA and AAA both recommend a winter kit:

Combined from NHTSA's and AAA's winter driving lists.