How To Safely Use Your Snatch Strap
A snatch strap is a valuable tool used to help in the recovery of vehicles stuck in mud or sand. It is made of strong woven fabric of varying widths. These straps offer stretching properties which allow them to store kinetic energy. A snatch strap should be in your vehicle recovery kit to help you deal with situations where you become bogged. It may be your only chance to get your vehicle unstuck.
It’s important to understand that the snatch strap must be used carefully. If misused, a snatch strap can do more harm than good. Since bogged vehicles can get damaged easily, you need to follow the appropriate guidelines. Here are some tips on how you can use snatch straps safely:
Position the towing vehicle
The towing vehicle must get close enough to the stuck vehicle without getting bogged itself. Positioning plays a key role here. You should try to get as straight a line as possible. It’s not advisable to snatch a vehicle around the corners. Also, make sure both vehicles have straight wheels. If the vehicle is stuck in deep ruts, align the wheels of the stuck vehicle with the direction of the rut.
Use rated towing points
Safety is always a concern when recovering a bogged vehicle. So, make sure to attach the snatch strap to recommended recovery points. It can be extremely dangerous if you attach the strap to vehicle parts such as rear tire carriers, bull bars, or axles. If you want to avoid further damage, find the right point to attach the strap. Bull bars are surely not a safe option.
Use a dead weight on the strap
After securing the snatch strap, don’t forget to put a dead weight in the middle of the strap. You can use a heavy rug or towel for this purpose. There are vehicle recovery kits that come with a safety bag that have pockets to add dirt or sand.
No matter the object you use, it’s important to add a dead weight. A lot of damage can be avoided if the snatch strap snaps with a dead weight attached. The function of dead weight is to soak up the stored energy in the strap and make it fall quickly on the ground.
It might sound like an exciting activity to watch a vehicle being recovered with a snatch strap. When you start recovering your vehicle, make sure all bystanders are safely away from both vehicles. Things can easily go wrong if you ignore safety measures. If you don’t have tools like a snatch strap to recover your bogged vehicle, call a professional vehicle recovery service to help you out.
Action Towing provides quick and efficient vehicle recovery services in Edmonton. If your vehicle is stuck in Edmonton or surrounding areas, give us a quick call to get instant assistance!
