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How do I tow a car out of a ditch?

How do you get your car out of a ditch? I live in rural Montana and often worry about an accident that might leave me stranded. I haven't ended up in a ditch yet, but I want to know how to pull my car out just in case.

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Sarah Gray · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
The best way to pull a car out of a ditch is with a tow truck:
You can also tow your car out of a ditch with help from another vehicle:
  • Step 1: Attach a kinetic strap or tow-rated cable to the front or rear recovery points on the vehicle. Consult your owner’s manual to make sure you’re hooking up to the correct points. DO NOT attach the strap to a trailer hitch: this can break off and cause injury or even death.
  • Step 2: Pull the towing vehicle up to the ditch at a 30 to 45-degree angle to the stuck vehicle.
  • Step 3: Put the stuck vehicle in neutral.
  • Step 4: Using slow and short bursts of acceleration, move the towing vehicle forward until the stuck vehicle is out of the ditch.
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