Mud Driving Tips and Advice

With any luck, you'll be entering this shallow mire at low speed. If you hit mud at speed, your vehicle can take on the characteristics of a luge on an ice chute. The key is to give the tires a chance to bite into the mud and find traction on the hard surface underneath. Keep your line through the sludge as straight as possible; turning the wheels causes more drag and can bog you down. This technique works for mud-covered asphalt or well-traveled dirt roads after normal rainfall. Off-roaders will tell you to drive as slow as you have to and as fast as you can; a riddle only they have the answer to. The translation: momentum and torque will get you through.

In the Thick of It
Now, you're in the mud: one of three things will happen. First, you might get through it without incident. Hurray!


Next, you'll skid. Do not hit the brakes. Gently back off on the gas pedal and be conscious of where the front wheels are pointing. Assuming you were going slowly to begin with, your vehicle will decelerate and regain traction and the wheels will pull the vehicle in the direction they are pointed (explaining why it's important to know what direction that is). Once you're back in control of the vehicle, keep going.


The third possibility is getting stuck. You have two choices: Keep steady pressure on the gas pedal and pray. The solution for off-roaders requires a little finesse. The tire tread may be clogged with mud, reducing traction. Press the accelerator to create a light wheel spin. The theory is that the centrifugal force will spin the mud from the tread and the tire can grip again.


You can also turn the steering wheel back and forth quickly—about 1/8 rotation. The tread pattern on even conventional street tires wraps up onto the tire wall. Moving the wheels, hypothetically, may give this tread a chance to gain enough grip to keep you moving. If none of this works, stop spinning your wheels. You'll just be digging a deeper rut.