9 Simple Car Hacks That Cost Almost Nothing

AuroraGlyph Updated: 2025-07-26

7. Borrow a cup of salt

Winter driving offers special difficulties; losing traction and fishtailing on frozen roadways is among the most terrifying events one might encounter. Not just alarming but also dangerous, this loss of control might cause accidents. But a cheap and easy fix that will greatly increase the stability of your automobile in the winter is adding weight to its trunk with bags of road salt.
This hack's idea originates in fundamental physics. In a rear-wheel-drive vehicle, you improve traction and lower the possibility of the back end sliding out on corners or on a slick surface by raising the weight across the rear wheels. A couple bags of road salt in the trunk can noticeably improve the stability of your automobile on winter roadways, claims Reader's Digest.
This answer's brilliance is in its two-fold use. The additional weight increases traction, but if you find yourself caught in an icy environment, the road salt itself could literally save your life. By spreading salt over your tires, you can assist melt snow and ice, therefore giving the grip required to get your car rolling again. Road salt's dual-use makes it especially useful addition to your winter driving tool.
It is important to keep in mind, nevertheless, that this method is not always relevant for every kind of vehicle. As Lee Schwab Tires notes, adding weight to the trunk could actually cause your car with front-wheel drive to become unstable. This is so because front-wheel-drive vehicles have around 65% of their weight already oriented over the front wheels. Extra weight in the rear can throw off this equilibrium and increase the likelihood of the automobile spinning out.
For individuals with front-wheel-drive cars, other strategies for enhancing winter traction should be under discussion. These could include snow chains for severe weather or winter tires, which are especially meant to offer improved grip in cold and snowy conditions. The secret is to know the drivetrain of your car and decide which best way to improve winter driving safety.
Whatever kind of vehicle you drive, there are general guidelines that drivers should follow in the winter. Particularly in places likely to see ice formation, driving below the advised speed limit is absolutely vital. Particularly dangerous and usually formed in early morning and evening hours is black ice, almost invisible on the road surface. Knowing possible ice areas and modifying your driving will help to greatly lower your chance of losing control.
One should also take into account the effects road salt uses on the surroundings. Although it works well for melting ice, overuse can harm nearby infrastructure and ecosystems. Try to apply road salt sparingly whether using it for traction or to extricate your car from an ice patch. Think of environmentally friendly substitutes like sand or kitty litter, which might offer traction free of the same environmental issues.
Apart from these safety measures, safe winter driving depends on good maintenance of the vehicle. This covers making sure your battery is in good condition, that your tires are correctly inflated and have enough tread depth, and that your windshield wipers and defrosting system is running as it should. The best protection against winter driving hazards is a well-kept car together with careful driving and suitable traction-enhancing techniques.
In the end, even although increasing weight to your car can help to increase winter traction, it is only one component of a whole approach for safe winter driving. Navigating winter roads safely depends critically on your being ready, knowledgeable about the state of the weather, and adjusting your driving style to the conditions. Combining these techniques will help you greatly lower the hazards involved in winter driving and guarantee a safer travel for other people as well as yourself.