One thing you can never be certain about in Canada is the ever-changing weather. A bright and sunny morning can quickly turn into a night of strong blizzards. In bitter winter weather, you can encounter some dangerous situations while traveling on a highway covered in snow or frost. Slippery roads translate to more accidents where cars and trucks go off-road and get stuck in the snow or in a ditch. Snow and ice can catch even the most experienced drivers off guard, especially on roads with twisting turns and that are not well-lit.

One of the best ways to remove your car when you’re stuck is through winching. Call your local Calgary towing service if you find yourself in such a situation. Read this blog to find out some of the information about how you can winch a car.

Assess The Situation

Safety is all-important when winching a vehicle. While winches are useful tools, the power they generate when hauling in a car or truck can be hazardous. Something powerful enough to pull your stuck vehicle out from a ditch will not care if anyone or anything is in the way when spooling in. So, when you find yourself stuck in a ditch or in the snow, try to remain calm and assess the situation.

Start by evaluating your options; either you can try to reverse your car out of the ditch or ask for help. Often strangers are willing to help in any way possible – but this may cause more problems and safety hazards. We recommend contacting a heavy-duty towing service for assistance.

Before You Begin

If you are someone who is using a winch to move your stuck car yourself or an employee at a towing company, there are some safety considerations you need to make to ensure a safe and smooth winching process.

• When using a wire or a synthetic rope winch, always wear a pair of heavy-duty gloves to protect your hands from any burns and cuts
• Don’t put your finger through the hook to pull the line away from the fairlead – use a hook strap. Carry clevis or D-shackles as these are the safest way to connect a winch to a car or strap
• Avoid using a recovery strap for a winching operation; these will stretch and store a lot of energy that can be damaging if it breaks, much like a rubber band
• Ensure that the recovery vehicle’s battery can handle the additional load
• Make sure to check the winch installation to ensure that there are no loose bolts
• Do everything calmly, and you will be able to pull out the car completely
• Take proper time to assess the situation, and act accordingly

How To Rig A Winch

There are three ways you can rig a winch:

Single line

In this type, you will need to pull the line to the anchor point and secure it with a strap, shackle, or both. Now, attach it to a tree or another vehicle and lock the clutch. Then, connect the remote and put the line under tension to begin the winching operation using short, controlled pulls.

Double line

In this type, you can use a snatch block to increase the pulling power over short distances. Start by connecting the snatch block to the anchor point, then draw your line around and attach it to your car. To absorb the shock due to pulling power, drape a blanket or a coat on the line.

Triple line

This employs a technique similar to the double line; the only difference is that it requires two anchor points and two snatch blocks. You need to maintain a right-angle between the winch and first anchor and double-check all connections before starting.

Precautions To Take

Before starting a winch operation, make sure you survey your surroundings to ensure there are no obstacles between your car and the anchor that could interfere with the winch cable. Once you are certain that there are no bystanders between your car and the winch cable, proceed to operate the winch.

If your car is stuck in the snow or mud, and there is no way you can recover your vehicle, make sure you call a professional tow truck operator. In the Calgary and Alberta region, you can call AAA Towing to get 24-hour vehicle recovery services. At AAA towing, we provide quality and professional towing services to our clients. For more information, go to our website or contact us today.