I Love Graff Okemos: Chevrolet dealer near East Lansing MI

Friday, October 23, 2015

Halloween Safety Tips for Your Trick-or-Treating Kids

OKEMOS, Mich. –– Going trick-or-treating on Halloween for the first time without an adult is a classic benchmark all kids look forward to. But, naturally, this gives parents the creeps as they tend to feel they've lost yet another position of security over their kids' lives. It's nerve-racking witnessing your kids step into the night to go door-to-door for candy without you, but you can find comfort in these Halloween safety tips for your trick-or-treating kids that will help them understand how to be safe out there in the ghoulish world.

1. Stay Together

As the old adage goes, there's safety in numbers. This is the golden Halloween rule for your kids when they're trick-or-treating. Make sure your kids know the importance of staying together with a group of friends throughout the night. Remind them they should never venture off alone, even if they desire to go to a particular house that the rest of the group doesn't. At minimum, you could allow your kids to split off with another person if they wish to trick-or-treat on a side street that the rest of the group isn't interested in, but the best case scenario is that they stay with their larger group of friends.

2. Walk in Well-Lit Areas

Considering Halloween is the darkest holiday of the year––literally and figuratively––your kids should trick-or-treat on well-lit streets illuminated by street lamps and porch lights. Dark streets diminish your kids' situational awareness because they can't see as well, and these streets typically indicate there isn't as much activity occurring on them anyway. Dark streets are also a hazard because they make it difficult for drivers to see people walking along or crossing them.

3. Don't Enter Houses

Trick-or-treating is a door-to-door activity, so if an adult asks your kids to come inside for something it should be viewed as a red flag, unless your kids know the adult and know that you trust them. While it's unlikely that any of your neighbors have bad intentions, it's better not to give strangers the benefit of the doubt. Tell your kids to politely decline if someone asks them to enter a house, and make sure they aren't afraid to notify another adult who may be chaperoning their own kids on Halloween. In other situations, this rule might not apply as well. For instance, some neighbors may enjoy transforming their home or garage into a haunted maze kids have to walk through to reach a bowl of candy. If your kids see others participating in this, then it's probably fine for them to enter. However, we still recommend they acknowledge the presence of another adult first.

4. Set Boundaries

No parent wants to limit the amount of fun their kids have trick-or-treating on Halloween, but establishing boundaries for them to stay within is important. Your kids may want to traverse the entire square mile you live within, but limiting them to a specific number of particular neighborhood blocks allows you to have a better grasp on there whereabouts. This also keeps them more aware of their surroundings. When they reach a boundary––say it's a specific street––they'll remember your rule and have an understanding of where they are in proximity to you.

5. Set Check-In Times and a Curfew

Whether you want to require your kids to check-in at specific time or two while they trick-or-treat is up to you, but we suggest you still put in place a strict Halloween curfew to ensure your kids come home safe. The last thing you want is for it to be 10 p.m. and you're forced to go searching throughout the neighborhood for your kids, meanwhile worried sick that they could be lost or injured in some way. Save yourself from that anxiety and be solid in your expectations of when your kids should arrive home. While they may stomp their feet and pout now, one day they'll understand the importance of coming home at a reasonable time for the sake of their safety.

Every parent has their own opinions on what rules they should implement to ensure the security of their kids, but we strongly believe these Halloween safety tips for your trick-or-treating kids are some of the basic guidelines you can give your kids to make sure they still have fun and stay safe. It's also important for you, the parent, to stay safe when you're driving throughout the autumn season. Follow our advice for driving in the fall, and visit our Chevrolet dealer near East Lansing, MI, for more tips or to test-drive a new Chevy.

Hank Graff Chevrolet Okemos is committed to providing you with integrity and convenience, all close to home. Let our friendly team of Chevy professionals at Hank Graff Okemos help you –– simply call us at (517) 349-8300 or visit our showroom, located at 1748 W. Grand River Okemos, MI 48864. We’re just minutes from Lansing!

Monday, October 12, 2015

GM Brings Car-Sharing Program to Ritzy NYC Residents

OKEMOS, Mich. –– After months of hinting at new ideas for improving transportation, including increased efforts with vehicle connectivity and autonomous driving innovations, General Motors will bring car-sharing to New York City residents.

For now, the new car-sharing program, called “Let’s Drive NYC,” will serve residents of The Ritz Plaza, an apartment building at Times Square in Midtown Manhattan and home to many affluent citizens.

“When GM approached us with their car-sharing program, we were excited to incorporate this innovative service to further enhance our residents’ lifestyle,” said Ofer Yardeni, chairman and CEO of Stonehenge, a company focused on bolstering community environments in Manhattan. “Owning a vehicle in New York City is expensive and inconvenient. GM’s Let’s Drive NYC car-sharing program delivers a valuable and sought-after amenity, and residents of The Ritz Plaza are taking full advantage of it.”

With GM’s new car-sharing program, residents will have another convenient transportation option in addition to New York’s subway system, buses, taxis, bikes, and walking. Owning and driving a vehicle in a large city like New York is more of a burden than a privilege, but with car-sharing that mode of transportation becomes more feasible as users aren’t faced with the dilemma of finding costly garage space or handling routine maintenance.

“Customers want options on how to move from Point A to Point B that provide flexibility and personalization,” said GM President Dan Ammann. “Let’s Drive NYC is just one part of GM’s global urban mobility strategy. We view evolving consumer preferences, such as car-sharing, as real business opportunities, where we can quickly build on our existing capabilities such as OnStar connectivity to very effectively meet customer needs.

To enhance the car-sharing program GM is bringing to New York residents, the automaker is providing a mobile app that allows residents to find parking at any of Icon Parking Systems’ 200 Manhattan garages. For now, residents will have the choice of driving one of the eight Chevrolet Trax SUVs or one of the two Chevrolet Equinox SUVs that currently make up the car-sharing fleet.

To drive the vehicles, GM gives residents electronic credits worth three hours of rental per month. After those three hours, residents have to pay $10 an hour or $75 every 24 hours. But those prices aren’t too bad when you think about the cost of owning a vehicle as opposed to renting one out a few days a week.

This isn’t necessarily a foray into car-sharing for GM. The automaker has tested programs before debuting “Let’s Drive NYC,” such as their program in Toronto for university students, or their partnership with Google in 2014 that was a commuter ride-sharing service with Chevrolet Spark EVs. This new car-sharing program in New York is evidently all of GM’s best ideas bundled into one streamlined service.

If all goes well with “Let’s Drive NYC,” we’re betting GM expands the program to other residents in the city, and other cities across the nation. For now, the rest of us will have to continue owning our vehicles, not that many people have an aversion to that reality anyway. Stop by our Chevrolet dealer near East Lansing, MI, to experience the performance of a new Chevy.