Car Stuck in the Mud? Follow This Guide for Vehicle Recovery

Getting stuck in the mud, or even sand is incredibly frustrating. Unfortunately, the ground can get very soggy come the rainy spring season, and waterlogged mud creates lots of opportunities for vehicles to get stuck. Before heading out in your car, especially after heavy rainfall, it’s a good idea to plan and prepare. Luckily, there are a few tips and methods for recovering your vehicle from the mud.

What Not to Do if Your Car Gets Stuck in the Mud

The first thing to mention is what you should avoid when dealing with a stuck car. The methods for getting unstuck might become useless if you do any of the following, making it harder to recover the vehicle:

• Do not hit the gas and spin the tires. Getting frustrated and pushing on the gas harder is not going to get you anywhere, except further stuck in the ground. When you spin your tires in the mud without any traction, it will dig you in deeper.
• Don’t stop once you gain momentum. If you do gain traction and feel your car moving forward, don’t stop for a rest. Once you gain momentum, you’ve got to keep going until you are on solid ground. If you stop, the car might sink back into the mud again.
• Don’t be stubborn. Ask for help. For these situations to work out best, it usually helps to have a second pair of eyes or a set of hands. If you are determined to figure it out yourself, it will likely take longer. You might also end up making the situation worse since you can’t see what your wheels are doing while you are in the driver’s seat. Having someone stand outside the car and direct you can be very helpful in these situations. Additionally, if they can safely get behind the vehicle and push without falling, it will help the car gain momentum.

How to Recover Your Car from the Mud

Now that you know what not to do, let’s take a look at practical methods you can use for getting your car unstuck:

Get Some Traction

The main reason cars get stuck in the mud or sand is because they lose traction. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can help your vehicle easily gain back some traction to get unstuck. One of the best ways is to use some gravel, kitty litter, or rock salt. Sprinkling any one of these items around your tires will give them something to grip onto so you can gain momentum to pull forward. If you don’t have any of these on hand, the floor mats in your car can also work. Lay them in front of the tires and pull forward.

You can get creative with this method and use whatever is around you that might help gain traction. Just be sure not to use anything sharp that could puncture your tires.

Rock it Out

If you have nothing available to gain traction with, you can try the rocking method. Rocking will only work, however, if your car can at least move backward and forwards a little bit. If you are really and truly stuck with no wiggle room, this won’t work. For automatic transmissions, make sure you are on the lowest gear if you can. For manual, set your car to second or third gear. Start by accelerating slightly forwards, but not so quickly that your tires spin, then put the car in reverse and move slightly backward. Continue this motion of moving forward and then backward until you hopefully feel your car gain some momentum to get back on firm ground.

Grab a Shovel and Dig

The digging method is pretty straight forward and is pretty useful if you’re not in too deep. Most emergency car kits should include a shovel, but if you don’t have one, you can see if someone nearby might have something available. You can also use your hands or any other object to scoop the mud away from your tires. The key is to dig a path in front of or behind your tires, so they have space to move forward or backward. Do not dig straight down, creating a deeper hole for your tires to sink into.

Call for a Tow Recovery

If none of the above methods work, you can always call a tow truck to bail you out. Towing services are not just for broken down vehicles or accidents. Most towing companies also offer recovery towing services to pull your car out of mud, sand, ice, snow, and even water. If you feel unsafe trying to get yourself unstuck, or if you are in so deep that you can’t gain traction or momentum to get out, a tow truck can quickly and effectively pull you to safety.

How O’Hare Towing Service Can Help

At O’Hare Towing, we pride ourselves on handling even the most challenging recoveries. If you find yourself stuck, our tow operators are trained to handle a variety of situations and can help recover your vehicle in no time. For fast and efficient towing services in Bolingbrook, IL, call O’Hare Towing today!