I have freed my Jeep from the snow many times by placing tree branches and what not under the tires. In addition I have been off-roading with several trucks who carry a much larger version of the traction pads for use in mud and snow. The down side would be that 1) you have to carry them with you 2) you have to get out of your car to use them. Often times, I have found, that once you get stuck in the snow, you want to try and keep your momentum up to avoid becoming stuck again. More specifically if you stop to retrieve your traction mats, you may not be able to get going again without using the mats again.