Winter is approaching and many drivers will be hitting the roads this season to embark on road trips. However, there will be times when the journey can prove to be treacherous due to massive snowfall and packed roads. As such, here are five winter car hacks that can prevent you from getting stuck in the snow.

1. If you get stuck in the snow, use your car’s floor mats

If you happen to get stuck in the snow, then you have a couple of options, reports Action Gator Tire. The first option is to take your car’s floor mats out and place them underneath the car’s tires for more traction. The second option is to bring a bag of sand or cat litter with you and sprinkle some of that on the ground to get traction. Either way, you should be able to get unstuck using these methods.

2. Keep an emergency kit in your car

Another hack is always keeping an emergency kit in your car if you know that you’ll be driving through some snowy areas on your trip. Here are some of the most notable items to keep in your car:

• Non-perishable food
• Water
• Flashlight
• Cell phone charger
• Ice Scraper
• A foldable shovel
• Cat litter or sand
• First aid kit

We recommend keeping everything in a duffel bag to make it easy to transport.

3. Increase your visibility using toothpaste

Your car’s headlights tend to get foggy over time due to the sun’s UV rays and other environmental factors. That fogginess can easily decrease your visibility when driving during a snowfall. You can have your headlights professionally cleaned, but if you want to save money, then you can also go over them with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Seriously, it works.

Another method that we found for cleaning up headlights involves going over them with a lemon and baking soda. Believe it or not, it works as well.

4. Place a blanket on your car’s windshield

De-icing your car’s windshield is a pain, especially when you have to hack away at it with a scraper. If you want to skip the scraping, then one easy method is to simply place a blanket or a tarp over the windshield the night before. When you come out to your car the next day, you can simply lift the blanket and your windshield will be clear.

5. Use a penny to check your car’s tire tread depth

Lastly, before you embark on your journey, it’s a good idea to make sure that your car’s tires are ready to go. If you don’t have a tire depth gauge – which most drivers don’t – then you can use a penny to check each tire’s tread. Simply place the penny upside down on the tire tread, if you see Abe Lincoln’s head, then it’s time to replace the tire. If not, then you likely have enough tread to get you through the snow.

Winter hacks for winter driving

Taking a long road trip in the snow can be daunting, especially when there’s a risk of getting stuck in it. With these five hacks, you can ensure that you and your family stay safe this season whether you’re driving far or staying local.