What to Do If Your Car Gets Stuck in Sand

There's a strong chance you'll become trapped at some time during your off-roading or overlanding experiences. Even with our best efforts, top-notch driving abilities, and a plethora of equipment, we can't always avoid being stuck.

Inspect the Tire Pressure

If you failed to air down your tires before hitting the sand, or if a sandy bog surprises you, inflating down your tires is probably the simplest way to get unstuck. Driving on sand usually necessitates approximately 15-20 PSI. Of course, this is a broad rule of thumb. The particular PSI you require will be determined by a variety of criteria, including the type of tires you have, the vehicle you have, and the type of sandy terrain. Whether your tires are already in the 15-20 PSI zone, consider decreasing the PSI even lower, to 10-12, to see if you have enough extra surface area to grip your way out of the sand.

Let it rip!

Another thing you may try is rocking the car back and forth by alternating forward and reverse actions. A gradual and steady tempo is needed when rocking the car. You run the danger of sinking the tires even deeper into the sand if you're not careful.

If swaying back and forth isn't producing the intended effects, consider adding traction boards to the mix. Simply position the boards in front of and beneath each tire to provide a sturdy surface for the tires to grip.

Get the Shovel Out

When deciding what to do if your vehicle becomes stuck in sand, shoveling may be the best option. When you're in a sandstorm, you're not digging to discover solid ground. Instead, the idea is to dig into the region where you've been stopped in order to level up the sand and make ramps in front and behind each wheel. This prevents your car from dragging the bottom as you travel forward or back, and the ramps may assist you obtain that additional velocity to get out.

Be equipped always

Driving on sand necessitates an understanding of what you can and cannot accomplish behind the wheel. Preparation and planning can help you avoid being stuck in many instances, but they will also equip you to come unstuck in those cases where the sand prevails.

When driving on sand, attempt to stay on existing paths since the sand will be more compacted and give greater traction. To the greatest degree feasible, follow the contours of the sand.