[supercat]

Idiot's guide to getting a car out of the snow.

He should have fastened the strap to the bumper.

[The KG9 Kid]

He did. The tow cable was attached to the bumper's collision cylinder.

Unfortunately, new compact imports like that have a unitized bumper that's only spot-welded to other sheet metal. Just tears off like a perforated coupon because it was never designed to be yanked; it was designed to crumple under impact.