If traffic is moving, stay buckled inside the vehicle with your hazards on — it's the safest place. Call 911 if anyone is hurt or you're blocking a live lane; otherwise call a 24/7 recovery service and give your nearest exit or mile marker. Don't spin the tires — it digs you deeper. A stuck car usually needs a winch-out (recovery), which is a different service from a standard tow.
Minnesota winters put thousands of vehicles into ditches, medians, and snowbanks — a single storm can trigger 100+ crashes across the metro. Sliding off the road is rarely the disaster it feels like in the moment; the key is staying safe and getting the right kind of help.
Step by step
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Get safe and stay visible
If traffic is still moving, the safest place is usually inside the vehicle, belted, with hazard lights on. Only get out if there's a fire risk or you can reach a clearly safe spot well off the roadway — never stand in a live lane or on the shoulder of a highway in low visibility.
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Check for danger and injuries
Make sure no one is hurt and the car isn't near water, a steep drop, or in the path of traffic. Call 911 if there are injuries or you're blocking a lane. In a snow emergency, troopers and dispatch are triaging by severity.
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Figure out if you're disabled or stuck
A car that runs but can't get traction needs a winch-out — pulling it back onto firm ground — which is priced separately from a tow. Don't keep spinning the tires: it digs you in, glazes the snow to ice, and can overheat the transmission.
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Call for recovery with your exact location
Call a 24/7 towing and recovery line. Have ready: your nearest exit or mile marker, direction of travel, vehicle make and color, and whether you're in a ditch, median, or snowbank. The more precise you are, the faster the right truck rolls.
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Wait safely for the truck
Stay buckled inside until the operator arrives and directs you. Keep your phone reachable, conserve battery, and watch for the truck's amber beacon. If you run the engine to stay warm, make sure the exhaust pipe is clear of snow.
Don't spin your tires, don't try to push the car back onto the road in moving traffic, and don't stand outside on a highway shoulder in a whiteout. A winch-out takes a trained operator minutes — your safety is worth the wait.
Will this cost more than a normal tow?
Often, yes — a recovery/winch-out is quoted on top of (or instead of) a standard tow because it takes extra equipment and time. Ask the dispatcher whether recovery is separate when you call. See our Minnesota towing cost guide for typical ranges, and accident & recovery service for what a winch-out involves.
Stuck in a ditch or snowbank right now?
We run winter recoveries across the north metro 24/7. Call dispatch with your location and stay warm.
Call (651) 465-8009Frequently asked questions
Should I get out of my car after sliding off the road?
If traffic is moving, no — stay buckled inside with hazards on. Only exit for a fire risk or to reach a clearly safe area well off the road.
Why shouldn't I spin the tires?
Spinning digs the vehicle deeper, glazes snow into ice, and can overheat the transmission — making the recovery harder and more expensive.
Is a winch-out the same as a tow?
No. A winch-out is a recovery — pulling the vehicle back to firm ground — and is usually quoted separately from a standard tow.
Note
General safety guidance for Minnesota winter driving incidents. In any emergency or injury, call 911 first.