An experienced driver from Northeast China teaches you how to drive safely in winter

The scenery of the northern country, a thousand miles of ice, ten thousand miles of snow... Welcome to the North, welcome to our Great Northeast. In this area, for about half of the year, you can see snow. 

If that’s not enough, you can continue 'all the way north' where there are the majestic Greater and Lesser Khingan Mountains, a place where you can truly find the North—Mohe, the northernmost village of China, known as the Arctic Village of the country. Here, China experiences its longest winter, as well as the dazzling polar day and the northern lights... The winter here is long, and the nights are long, so long that it feels as if everything has come to a standstill.

A world of ice, a kingdom of snow, everything is covered in a silver-white blanket. It’s a fairy tale kingdom for children, but a nightmare for truck drivers! Due to low winter temperatures and nights that last longer than days, snow falling from the sky onto the ground often isn't cleared in time. When vehicles drive over it, it hardens, turns black, and becomes slippery, which increases driving difficulty and danger. 

As a driver, you will face complex road conditions, cold weather, and vehicles that break down due to a lack of necessary preparation. At such moments, your mood turns dark—you cry out to the heavens with no response, call out to the earth in vain, and regret not mastering the secrets of winter driving safety earlier. 

So, as a driver from Northeast China, I will use my personal experiences as examples to teach everyone how to drive safely and correctly in winter.

Actually, friends who follow me have seen that I've written many posts, but there hasn't been a single post specifically about safe driving in winter. I once decided that I should write a detailed post to share my experiences in this area. 

However, writing about this requires considering and covering so many things, and the scope is so broad. I'm afraid that if I start writing, it might spiral out of control and turn into a 'long series,' which wouldn't be good, and you probably wouldn't want to read all that (a bit of a tangent there).

▎Prepare in Advance for Winter - Getting Your Vehicle Ready Ahead of Time

In a previous post, I mentioned that our family has two generations of truck drivers, and my father used to be a military vehicle soldier. So, in terms of driving and vehicle maintenance, we are relatively professional.

Much of the vehicle maintenance knowledge I have now is greatly influenced by my father. After all, while vehicles are constantly evolving, the mechanical principles remain the same.

Before winter arrives in the Northeast, experienced veterans make sure to check and maintain all aspects of the vehicle, including 'oil, water, electricity, air, powertrain, tires, and vehicle insulation'.

It's not that we drivers in Northeast China are 'foolish and rich.' Think about it—on a night with temperatures of minus 30-40°C, if the car has a problem, it's really tough. Calling a mechanic for help? They're 'human' too—why would they leave a warm bed to bundle up in a thick coat and work at the frontline rescuing vehicles? (Is it out of love for the repair industry? Not at all! Unless you're willing to spend a lot of money.)

So, the drivers you see in Northeast China basically have the ability to handle minor vehicle issues themselves. Honestly, this is something I often tell others: the environment can change a person. (In the dead of winter, freezing to the bone, what do you do if the mechanic doesn’t come? If you can't fix the car, you can't leave; if you can't leave, the engine temperature won’t rise; running the heater at idle won’t warm the cabin—this forces drivers in the Northeast to have a certain level of repair skills.)
 

● Add higher-grade diesel in time 

When it comes to fuel, you need to consider the ambient temperature your vehicle will be driving in and add higher-grade diesel promptly. Unlike gasoline, diesel has poorer fluidity at low temperatures and can even turn into a 'wax-like' state. If your vehicle travels from the south to the cold northeast in winter without switching to higher-grade diesel, you could face diesel 'waxing' – engine stalling – and vehicle breakdowns. 

0# diesel is suitable for temperatures from 8°C to 4°C; -10# diesel for 4°C to -5°C; -20# diesel for -5°C to -14°C; -35# diesel for -14°C to -30°C; -50# diesel for -30°C to -44°C. 

Everyone should be aware of this to avoid your vehicle becoming immobile due to 'frozen diesel.' Luckily, 'water circulation heated fuel tanks' have become standard for vehicles operating in cold regions. This allows you to freely use 0# diesel in winter, saving money while avoiding the trouble of 'frozen diesel.' The usage method won't be repeated here, as experienced drivers can pick it up quickly. 

A reminder: when heating the fuel tank, pay attention to safety and remember to open the fuel tank cap.

● Choosing the Right Antifreeze Is Important

After talking about oil, let's move on to the second item — water. Strictly speaking, the water mentioned here should be called "engine coolant," though experienced drivers usually call it "antifreeze."

Back when my father used to take care of cars, there was no such "fancy stuff." In cold winter climates, if a vehicle doesn't use coolant with the appropriate freezing point or if the coolant fails, minor consequences can include the radiator, hoses, and heater components freezing and cracking. In severe cases, it can cause the engine block or cylinder head to crack, leading to huge losses.

I remember in November 2008, when I was in Chengdu loading cargo to return to the Northeast, I specifically went to Fusen Auto Parts City to buy coolant with a 'high' rating. At that time, the seller assured me it could handle -40°C without any problem. But when I got to Shenyang, the heater wasn’t blowing warm air. Upon inspection, I found that the so-called -40°C coolant had turned into 'porridge' inside the hoses and radiator. I hadn’t even reached my hometown in Heilongjiang; otherwise, the engine would definitely have frozen in half. 

I was so scared that I immediately drained all of it and replaced it with new coolant in Shenyang. Nowadays, vehicles require coolant to be used all year round, but manufacturers fill different antifreeze based on the region where the vehicle is sold and the production season. Therefore, it is still recommended that vehicles from the South, if they are going to the cold North in winter, should replace their coolant in advance with one of an appropriate freezing point if they are unsure of their current coolant’s freezing capability.

● Check the Vehicle's Electrical System

The electrical system is like the nervous system of a vehicle, so inspections in this area before winter are absolutely essential. In the past, the electrical systems of large pump engines were relatively simple. Nowadays, due to richer configurations and the application of after-treatment systems, the wiring has become much more complex compared to older models. Many people would be at a loss if a vehicle breaks down due to an electrical fault.

We need to ensure that the vehicle's wiring is securely bundled, properly sealed and insulated. For older vehicles, it's important to maintain the alternator and starter before winter and check whether the battery is in good condition.

It's also best to keep battery jumper cables and starting fluid on hand. Some people say that starting fluid can damage the vehicle and shouldn’t be used, but when your battery is just one 'breath' away from starting, would you use it or not? Otherwise, imagine how chilling it would be if your vehicle won’t start in freezing winter because the battery is dead.

● Check your vehicle for serious air leaks before winter arrives

Modern vehicles are generally reliable, and the quality of their components is quite good. However, in the cold winter, anything can happen, especially with the air system. Common knowledge tells us that objects expand and contract with temperature changes.

Winters in Northeast China are extremely cold, which can cause frequent air leaks in components such as air pipes, pipe connectors, air dryers, and four-way circuits, as well as issues like stuck valve bodies.

So, before winter arrives, you need to check whether the vehicle has serious air leaks; whether the air tanks contain water. If the air tank farthest from the dryer can also release water, then the dryer needs to be replaced in time. Otherwise, during the cold winter, a failed dryer will not filter the moisture in the air, causing water to remain in the air lines and valves, which can freeze and result in serious accidents that threaten driving safety, such as loss of air pressure, clutch not disengaging, brakes locking, or brake failure.

We should develop the habit of keeping some 'wear-and-tear parts' in stock, such as brake lines, air quick connectors of various diameters, clutch fluid, etc. For our cars in Northeast China, the brake calipers basically do not use the original 'medium-sized pipes'; they are replaced with 'large rubber air hoses' to prevent air leaks caused by freezing.

In the cold winter, air hoses that show even slight signs of aging can break. If you don’t have spares, a single rescue can be quite costly.

● Vehicle Powertrain

The so-called vehicle powertrain refers to the "engine, transmission, and rear axle." Whether in summer or winter, we need to ensure the reliable operation of these three main components of the vehicle. However, before winter arrives, we must make sure they are in even better condition. The faults mentioned above are minor issues; if any of the three main components fail, it would be a real trouble, requiring us to wait for roadside assistance, which not only causes delays but also leaves the passengers exposed to hunger and cold. Therefore, preventive maintenance is key—70% maintenance, 30% repair is what we should follow.

● Tire Maintenance

Although the highway department dispatches snow removal vehicles promptly after snowfall, it is still inevitable to drive on icy or snow-covered roads. This is precisely when tire traction is put to the test. Consider that if tire treads are directional or have become worn out and smooth, it will inevitably reduce friction, causing the drive wheels to slip or spin when driving on icy or snowy roads.

Watching others confidently tackle ice and snow with their choice of 'mahjong tile' patterned tires, you can only hang your head in disappointment, regretting your lack of foresight. Some might ask why not use snow chains. The thing is, snow chains wear out your tires. On winter roads that are in good condition (highways, national roads), we rarely use snow chains ourselves, unless going downhill or if safety considerations require it on non-highway, rough sections, to avoid wheel misalignment when braking (Northeast drivers call this 'pushing the head' or 'stiff neck').

I usually don’t put on snow chains at the bottom of a slope. I prefer to attempt the climb first, and if the vehicle slips and stops, then I put on the chains. This way, I save my tires and avoid putting on chains too often, because maybe I could have made it up the slope in one go! Snow in the Northeast gets 'sticky' once the car stops, it won’t slide backward, so you need to treat it differently from ice.

In winter, due to low temperatures, the temperatures of diesel and coolant also decrease. This causes the engine's combustion efficiency to be significantly lower compared to its performance in summer.

The most direct experience is that diesel is 'hard to burn and consumes more fuel.' During winter, we install insulating blankets on the front panels of vehicles. The advantage of doing this is that it prevents too much heat from escaping the coolant in the radiator, thereby increasing the vehicle's combustion temperature and achieving fuel savings.

Currently, with the improvement of the stamping and assembly process of vehicle cabins, the vehicle's sealing has greatly improved, so the other function of the insulating blanket—'wind protection'—is becoming increasingly negligible.

In addition, common essential equipment must be prepared: a warning triangle, flashlight, thermos, wooden blocks (can be replaced with a jack if not available), enough dry food (to avoid hunger during traffic jams), a 24V electric blanket, sufficiently thick bedding and clothing, starting fluid, and, if possible, a blowtorch. Also, 1-2 bags of stove ash or sand should be placed on the fuel tank or battery tray (to place under the tires for traction if stuck), a sharp shovel, and a pickaxe, etc.

▎Driving on Ice and Snow Roads — Safety is the Shortest Way Home

What was mentioned above mainly concerns vehicle maintenance before winter. The biggest factor affecting driving safety is the driver’s operation, so I’d like to share my experience driving on icy and snowy roads. 

● Predictive Driving

When driving on icy and snowy roads, the friction between the tires and the road decreases, so you need to practice “predictive” driving. Drivers should be alert and anticipate potential hazards, increase the following distance, downshift early when decelerating, use engine braking cautiously, and be careful with hydraulic retarders. Braking should be done with “pulsing” rather than abruptly to avoid emergencies like vehicle skidding or out-of-sync braking with trailers (oversteering).

Avoid sharp steering; downshift and reduce speed before corners. For wide turns, increase the turning radius. Avoid braking mid-turn to prevent the vehicle from skidding or fishtailing. 

If the vehicle starts to skid on a downhill, don’t panic. Gently accelerate to help the vehicle regain proper posture (this is known as accelerating downhill). Trailers encountering this situation should also accelerate and can slightly pull the trailer brake handle to adjust the alignment between the trailer and the towing vehicle. 

One piece of advice is to try to drive closer to the right side of the lane, because the snow on the right is loose and not compacted. Compared to normal driving tracks, this can reduce the risk of drive wheels locking or sideways slipping.

● Calmly Dealing with Black Ice

Observe black ice on the road. When driving at night, the headlights illuminate the snow-covered road, and sometimes black patches suddenly appear. At this time, you need to mentally recognize that this represents "ice." Stay calm and composed, avoid slamming on the brakes or steering abruptly, maintain steady throttle, hold the steering wheel firmly, and pay attention to the car's posture in the rearview mirror. If you start to skid, gently apply more throttle.

Bridge surfaces and tunnel entrances are the most prone to ice formation. Bridges are particularly vulnerable because they are exposed to cold wind from both sides, so ice forms easily. Be aware of this and reduce speed in advance when approaching a bridge, passing steadily without abruptly lifting off the throttle. At this moment, "properly applying the throttle" is the best driving practice because it helps counteract the loss of traction on the drive wheels, preventing wheel lock-up or engine stall.

● Estimate Road Risks and Prepare in Advance

Estimate road risks in advance. Current navigation systems provide real-time traffic updates. By reviewing your driving route, you can plan alternative routes or find parking to avoid risks if you see traffic congestion. Just because you can drive through a section doesn’t mean others can; in winter driving, we often encounter accidents that stop us, such as being unable to go uphill or downhill, or overturning on curves.

Therefore, when you see vehicles lined up and waiting, don’t trying forcing your way through. Turn on your hazard lights in advance, maintain a safe distance from the car in front, and stop to wait for your turn. If necessary, go back to warn vehicles behind about the traffic ahead so they can also be prepared, helping to avoid potential rear-end collisions.

Do not overly rely on a vehicle's electronic assist functions on icy and snowy roads. Even if a vehicle has ABS-EBS, it only works when the wheels are in a 'spinning but not really spinning' situation. When the road is extremely slippery, and people can barely walk without falling, if the driver does not have enough respect for icy and snowy roads, no matter how many safety systems the vehicle has—A, B, C, D, E, F, G...—they won't help, and dangerous situations can still occur. So, you must not be careless.

At this time, talking about fuel-efficient driving is pointless. Even if it takes 100 liters per 100 kilometers, as long as the people and the vehicle are safe, I believe it's worth it. Safety is the shortest path to getting home.

▎Closing Remarks

As professional drivers, we must be strict with ourselves, respect life, adhere to our professional ethics, and always keep the string of safe driving tightly stretched. Because behind every driver and every road user is a happy family, we cannot and must not destroy a family's happiness due to our own mistakes. Life is beautiful, the future is long, so cherish every step!