One nice feature of Maxtrax is that they can be used as a shovel to help dig the hole needed to get them beneath the tire to start with. This is a great feature that is under estimated. Getting them in the right spot to start is key to their success.
Now don't throw your real shovel away if you have a good one, you will prefer your shovel over the MaxTrax. But if you don't have a good shovel.....the MaxTrax will dig a whole lot better than your bare hands, and your skin will thank you for that too.
If you have a choice, get four MaxTrax so you can pair them longitudinally with rope or velcro loops, or place one under each of the four tires of the stuck vehicle. With four MaxTrax you have four shovels so four people can be digging and burying their MaxTrax to their tire. Tie a bright colored ribbon or light rope to each MaxTrax so you can find them after the vehicle is free. They are easy to lose in deep sand, and a long tether makes it easier to pull them free when deeply buried as they may become.
While they won't always save your bacon, they can make a lot of recoveries much easier. And safer than highly stretched nylon recovery straps with metal fittings on their ends, and inexperienced off road drivers standing around watching.
We all get stuck in sand from time to time, but it is easier to get out before you really bury the rig trying to get out.
I think the folks who get stuck because they ignore the posted warning, should help extricate themselves by doing some digging, rather than just sitting in their vehicle while you crawl around in the sand hooking, winching, and unhooking their way free. If they have to help extricate themselves, they may learn something in the process, and even help teach their friends how to avoid having to dig their way out of the sand. Just a thought...