Despite the snowy weather and poor road conditions, you just had to run to the store for more hot cocoa mix. Now your vehicle is caught in a snow drift. With these steps, and perhaps the help of a passing motorist, you should be able to get out of this predicament.
Determine which tires have power. Although some cars have four-wheel drive, many have power only in the front or rear wheels. You need to determine whether the vehicle you're dealing with is front-wheel or rear-wheel drive.
Apply weight over the drive tires. Focus your attention on the drive tires, the ones that the engine turns. In a front-wheel-drive car, these are the front wheels. Applying weight over the drive tires gives them solid contact with the ground.
Create traction. Once the tires are touching the ground, they need something to grab on. Without traction, the tires are just spinning and sliding over the surface. In front of the tires, sprinkle ashes, sand, popcorn or any small particulate that will help the tires grip the ground.
Accelerate slowly. Put the vehicle in low gear and press the accelerator as slowly as possible. Don't force the tires to slide over the surface; you want them to grip and maintain their grip.
Rock the vehicle. Pushing the vehicle forward a tiny bit and then allowing it to roll back will create momentum. Notice that each time you do this, the vehicle rocks a little further. Eventually, this momentum will move the vehicle out of the place where it's stuck.
