I have yet to get my car stuck in the snow.

Knock on wood.

That isn't to say I haven't had to freeze my butt off on the side of the road trying to help others get their cars out of a snowbank.

Disclaimer - I have never used the items in the video above. But, having helped so many other motorists out of snowbanks, I could see how they might be just the thing for certain situations involving immobility due to snow, mud and ice.

Usually, the car gets stuck because it's sort of 'beached' on the snow. There is so much snow under the car that it elevates the tires above the ground. The tires spin the snow out from under them, and create ruts. The tires then cannot reach solid ground to gain traction. The solution? Dig out the snow from under the car. Not easy to do with the things we usually carry in the car. Heck, we might not even have CD cases anymore, the former 'last resort' staple of stranded motorists.

I carry a full size shovel in my roof box during winter trips, simply because it fits.

It also fits my philosophy. It's better to have a ____ and not need it, than need a ______ and not have it.

The blank space could be anything. Flashlight. Phone. Gun. Extra rain jacket.The point is, if there is room and the weight doesn't matter, include it. You can't dig yourself out of a hole with a shovel you left in your garage.

Depending on how high the snowbank is under the vehicle, these traction strips may only do a good job in making deeper ruts. However, if something this simple is the difference between moving and being stuck on the side of an icy road, I'd rather have them and not need them, than need them and not have them.

The company that makes this product seems to be in the crowd funding phase. Check out their Kickstarter page here.

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