What to do before you call a hooker.

Ways to get unstuck without calling a tow truck

One thing you can do more easily in the winter than in the summer is to get your car stuck. The combination of slippery roads and the wrong tires sends many vehicles spinning into a pile of snow which usually requires the assistance of a tow truck to get back onto the road. Quite a few Duluthians experienced this phenomenon over the past weekend when freezing drizzle turned to snow. That combination of snow on top of ice can be particularly treacherous on roadways.

In most cases, the car is only a little stuck, and easy rocking forward and backward may resolve the situation. Do not jam the gearshift from drive to reverse and back while spinning the tires as that will cause severe damage to the transmission. The gentle "egg under the pedals" method is usually the most effective method of getting unstuck.

The muscle of one or two people may be all that is required to get the vehicle back to where it has sufficient traction to move under its own power once again. I managed to get a full size, rear-wheel drive Ford stuck last winter while turning around at the end of a Dead End street in the Woodland neighborhood. The road was little used and little plowed, so there was a coating of hard-packed snow and ice on the road. About a half inch of new-fallen lake effect snow on top of that gave the surface about as much traction as an air hockey table, so even the slope from the crown of the road was enough to cause the rear tires to spin uselessly. I put the car into low gear and got out, one tire spinning slowly on the ice. Bracing my feet against a snow bank, I gave a mighty push and moved the two-ton car just enough to where it had traction. It rolled ahead to the opposite snow bank and stopped. I hopped into the driver's seat, put it into reverse to back away from the snow bank, and was able to drive easily on to my destination. A spectator who witnessed the whole episode applauded as I drove past.

Sometimes a quick tug with a tow strap is all that is required to extract a car or truck from its tractionless position, especially if the underbody of the car is hung up on a snow bank and the tires are spinning in soft snow several inches above the traction surface. That's why it's always a good idea to carry an inexpensive tow strap in the trunk. It also helps to know where the tow points are on your vehicle. Many newer cars do not have loops under the bumper like they did only a decade or two ago. In that case, it is important to locate a place on the chassis of the car to hook the tow strap. Do not wrap it around an axle or suspension component as that may bend or break the suspension and then you'll need a flat-bed truck to haul the car away.

Sand or gravel can be helpful if ice is what is keeping your car from moving. Keep a covered bucket (a plastic ice cream pail is ideal) of coarse grit or sand in the trunk to sprinkle on the ice for just such an emergency.

Another helpful winter-time addition to the trunk is a pair of expanded metal pieces, roughly 1 ft. by 2 ft. in size. These can be placed under the two drive wheels to get traction on an icy surface. Expanded metal, or expanded grating, is sheet metal that has been sliced and pulled to leave large holes in the metal. It is often used for metal steps, catwalks and trailer ramps. In the size mentioned, they don't weigh a lot and are easily wedged into position against the tires. It takes a light touch on the accelerator pedal to keep the expanded metal ramps from launching into the air, but that may be all that is needed to get your car back onto the road.

Asphalt roofing shingles can also be used to aid traction. Put the pebbled side down against the ice and drive slowly onto the back of the shingle. These do not afford the two-sided traction of the expanded metal ramps, but they are inexpensive and lightweight.

There will be times, however, when the only option is to call a towing company to get your reluctant beast back onto the pavement. A service call by a towing company generally starts around $50 and goes up from there. The final charge depends on how far the truck has to drive and how long it takes to extract the vehicle.

Consequently, it's a good idea to have towing insurance. It usually runs about $60 per year as an addition on your car insurance. "Emergency Roadside Service covers towing, starting, running out of gas, unlocking doors when you leave the keys inside, or changing a flat tire" said American Family Insurance Agent Shelly Overson of Duluth. "You must pay for the service call at the time and submit the bill to the insurance company for reimbursement." Also, make sure you know the limits involved. Some companies limit the distance or dollar amount that they will pay for towing. The roadside service option is not available for older cars, as they may be more prone to break down.

Supplementary emergency insurance such as that offered by membership in AAA may be a good alternative. According to Barb Haraldson, sales and service agent for the Duluth office of AAA Minnesota/Iowa Duluth, "AAA Roadside Assistance can be used on whatever car you are driving." Towing is limited to five miles under the basic AAA plan at $59.95 a year, but AAA Plus covers towing up to 100 miles. Many towing companies will bill AAA directly so there is no out of pocket expense. AAA membership offers additional benefits such as travel planning.

Tim Winker is a freelance automotive writer who lives west of Twig. Among his automotive accompllishments, he holds a World Speed Record at Talladega Speedway.