Is Your Vehicle Ready for Nebraska Winter? 7 Maintenance Checks Before the First Snow.

Halloween is one of the most exciting nights of the year for families, but it can also bring additional safety challenges for drivers. More children are walking through neighborhoods, crossing streets, and visiting homes while wearing costumes and carrying candy bags. With increased pedestrian activity and reduced visibility after dark, drivers need to take extra precautions. Whether you're driving through Holdrege, North Platte, McCook, York, or Plattsmouth, following a few simple Halloween driving safety tips can help protect everyone on the road. 7 Halloween Driving Safety Tips for Nebraska Drivers 1. Slow Down in Residential Neighborhoods Children may unexpectedly run across streets while trick-or-treating. Reduce your speed in residential neighborhoods, especially near schools, parks, and popular trick-or-treating areas. Give yourself additional time to react if a child enters the roadway. 2. Watch Carefully for Pedestrians Halloween brings more pedestrians onto sidewalks, driveways, and residential streets. Children may be distracted by costumes, decorations, and candy. Pay extra attention at intersections, crosswalks, and between parked vehicles. Never assume the road is clear just because you don't immediately see pedestrians. 3. Turn On Your Headlights Early Visibility becomes especially important on Halloween night. Turn on your headlights before sunset and make sure all exterior lights are working properly. Clean headlights can also improve nighttime visibility, particularly when driving through neighborhoods with limited street lighting. 4. Avoid Distracted Driving Keep your attention on the road. Put your phone away, avoid adjusting your entertainment system while driving, and minimize other distractions. If you are traveling with children, make sure everyone is safely buckled before leaving. 5. Never Drive Under the Influence Halloween celebrations may include parties and adult gatherings. If alcohol or other impairing substances are involved, arrange a designated driver or another safe ride home. Never get behind the wheel if you are impaired. 6. Be Extra Careful When Backing Up Children can be difficult to see behind vehicles, particularly when wearing dark costumes. Before backing out of a driveway, check your surroundings carefully. Use your mirrors and backup camera, but never rely on technology alone. Watch for children walking behind parked vehicles. Whenever possible, avoid backing out into busy trick-or-treating areas. 7. Make Sure Your Vehicle Is Ready for Nighttime Driving Halloween often means driving after dark, when visibility and reaction time become especially important. Before heading out, check your: Headlights and taillights Turn signals and brake lights Windshield wipers Windshield condition Tires and tire pressure If something isn't working properly, have it inspected before your next drive. Halloween Safety Is a Community Effort Safe Halloween driving isn't just about individual drivers. Parents should encourage children to use sidewalks and crosswalks, carry flashlights or wear reflective accessories, and stay with an adult when trick-or-treating. Drivers should remain alert, follow posted speed limits, and be prepared for unexpected pedestrian activity. A few extra precautions can make a meaningful difference for Nebraska families enjoying Halloween festivities. Drive Safely This Halloween with Janssen Auto Group At Janssen Auto Group, we care about the safety of the communities we serve. From Holdrege and North Platte to McCook, York, and Plattsmouth, we want Nebraska drivers and their families to enjoy a safe Halloween. Whether you need a vehicle inspection, new tires, or routine automotive maintenance, our dealership service teams are here to help keep your vehicle road-ready. Slow down, stay alert, and watch for little ghosts and goblins this Halloween! From everyone at Janssen Auto Group, have a safe and happy Halloween!

Janssen Auto Group is proud to support Holdrege Duster Girls Wrestling with a donation in 2026, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to local students, athletics, and the Holdrege, Nebraska community. As a Nebraska-based automotive group, Janssen Auto Group believes supporting local communities goes beyond selling and servicing vehicles. Investing in local schools and athletic programs helps create opportunities for students to develop confidence, discipline, teamwork, and perseverance. Girls wrestling continues to provide young athletes with opportunities to challenge themselves, build leadership skills, and represent their schools with pride. Janssen Auto Group is honored to support the Holdrege Duster girls wrestling program and recognize the dedication of its student-athletes, coaches, and families. With dealerships serving Holdrege and surrounding Nebraska communities, Janssen Auto Group understands the importance of strong local partnerships. Community involvement is an essential part of building lasting relationships with the people and families it serves. The 2026 donation reflects Janssen Auto Group’s commitment to helping local organizations thrive and supporting the next generation of Nebraska athletes. Janssen Auto Group is proud to stand behind Holdrege Duster Girls Wrestling and the positive impact local athletics have on students and the community.

Looking for ways to get better gas mileage? You don't necessarily need a new vehicle to improve your fuel economy. Simple changes to the way you drive, maintain, and use your vehicle can help you get more miles out of every tank. For Nebraska drivers, long highway trips, rural roads, changing weather, and everyday commuting can all affect fuel economy. Here are 10 practical ways to improve your gas mileage. 1. Drive Smoothly Rapid acceleration, hard braking, and aggressive driving can significantly reduce fuel economy. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates aggressive driving can lower gas mileage by 15% to 30% at highway speeds and 10% to 40% in stop-and-go traffic. Accelerate gradually, anticipate stops, and maintain a consistent speed whenever traffic and road conditions allow. 2. Check Your Tire Pressure Properly inflated tires can help your vehicle roll more efficiently. The Department of Energy reports that properly inflated tires can improve fuel economy by about 0.6% on average and up to 3%. Check your tire pressure regularly, especially when temperatures change. Use the pressure listed on the driver's door-jamb label or in your owner's manual—not the maximum pressure printed on the tire. 3. Watch Your Highway Speed Fuel economy generally decreases as speed increases, particularly at higher highway speeds. You don't need to drive below the speed limit to save fuel; simply avoid unnecessary speeding and maintain a steady, legal speed. This can make a difference for Nebraska drivers who regularly travel long distances on I-80 and other highways. 4. Avoid Unnecessary Idling An idling vehicle uses fuel even though you're not going anywhere. The Department of Energy estimates an idling vehicle can consume roughly a quarter to a half gallon of fuel per hour, depending on the engine and conditions. If you're parked and don't need the engine running, shut it off. 5. Use Cruise Control on Long Trips When traffic and road conditions are appropriate, cruise control can help maintain a consistent speed and reduce unnecessary acceleration and deceleration. It's especially useful on long highway drives, but avoid cruise control when roads are slippery or conditions require frequent speed changes. 6. Remove Extra Weight and Cargo The more weight your vehicle carries, the more energy it needs to move. Remove unnecessary items from your trunk, cargo area, or truck bed. The same applies to roof racks and cargo boxes. Exterior cargo increases aerodynamic drag, particularly at highway speeds. If you aren't using a roof-mounted accessory, consider removing it. 7. Combine Your Errands Several short trips can use more fuel than one longer trip because your engine consumes additional fuel while warming up. When possible, combine errands into a single trip. Planning your route can save both fuel and time. 8. Keep Up With Maintenance Routine maintenance helps your vehicle operate as efficiently as possible. Keep an eye on tire pressure, follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule, and address warning lights or changes in vehicle performance promptly. If your gas mileage suddenly drops, a maintenance issue could be part of the problem. 9. Track Your MPG Want to know whether you're actually improving your fuel economy? Track it. Fill your tank, reset your trip odometer, and record the number of miles driven before your next fill-up. Divide the miles driven by the gallons needed to refill the tank. For example, 360 miles divided by 12 gallons equals 30 MPG. Tracking several tanks will give you a better picture of your vehicle's typical fuel economy. 10. Choose a Vehicle That Fits Your Needs Sometimes the best way to improve fuel economy is to choose a vehicle designed for the way you drive. If you primarily commute and travel on highways, a fuel-efficient car or crossover may make sense. If you regularly tow or haul, a truck or SUV may be the better choice. Janssen Auto Group offers a variety of cars, trucks, and SUVs for Nebraska drivers, so you can compare vehicles based on fuel economy, capability, size, and features. How Can I Get Better Gas Mileage? Start with the basics: drive smoothly, maintain proper tire pressure, avoid unnecessary idling, watch your highway speed, remove unnecessary cargo, and keep up with routine maintenance. Small changes can add up over thousands of miles, particularly for Nebraska drivers who spend a lot of time on the road. If you're considering a more fuel-efficient vehicle, explore the current inventory at Janssen Auto Group and find a vehicle that fits the way you drive.