Corazon de mi vida Child Safety Seat Campaign Focuses on Saving Lives

Bilingual Initiative Encourages Proper Use of Child Safety Seats and Safety Belts Among Latinos

MIAMI, April 30 -- Corazon de mi vida (You Are the Center of My Life) is a national bilingual initiative created by the National Latino Children's Institute (NLCI) to educate Latino families, child care providers and the Spanish-speaking community about child passenger safety and safety belts. The Miami kick-off for the campaign and outreach initiative will take place at 11:00 AM on Thursday, May 1, 2003 at the George E. Batchelor Research and Academic Pavilion of the Miami Children's Hospital (3196 SW 62nd Avenue).

The national campaign was developed by the National Latino Children's Institute in conjunction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and is funded by Ford Motor Company Fund and Nationwide Insurance. Florida Department of Transportation, Miami Children's Hospital and Catholic Charities-Centro Mater are the campaign's local partners in Florida.

According to NHTSA, traffic crashes are the #1 killer of young children. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for Hispanic children of all ages (after the first year of life) and the leading cause of death for all Latinos ages 1-34. On a national level, six out of ten children who die in traffic crashes are completely unrestrained. Data collected in Florida from child safety seat checks and fitting stations shows that 96% of child safety seats inspected in Florida are incorrectly installed.

The press conference will include remarks by NHTSA Administrator Dr. Jeffrey W. Runge; Jose Abreu, Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation and NLCI President Rebeca Barrera. The event will also include a testimonial from a car crash survivor; a blessing of children and car seats and a safety seat installation. After the demonstration, Catholic Charities' Centro Mater will hold a platica/workshop for parents to discuss child passenger safety.

Corazon de mi vida capitalizes on the child-focused nature of the Latino culture in order to encourage the proper usage of child safety seats and safety belts. According to Rebeca Barrera, President of NLCI, the effort is aimed at young Latino parents and their extended families. "Corazon de mi vida builds on parents' love for their children and provides them with the information they need to help to reduce the risk of injuries in vehicle crashes." The Spanish phrase corazon de mi vida is a term of endearment used between family members and close friends to express that someone is at the center of their life.

"Ford Motor Company's involvement enables NLCI to take this campaign into more Hispanic communities nationwide -- something that is necessary because the Hispanic population is growing throughout the United States," said Barrera.

Dr. Jeffrey W. Runge, Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said, "NHTSA's Hispanic initiatives focus on the correct use of child safety seats and safety belts, pedestrian safety and preventing impaired driving. As the Hispanic community grows, the non-use or misuse of child safety seats emerges as a greater public health issue."

Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation Jose Abreu said, "By securing children properly into a safety seat, you reduce the odds of serious injury in a crash and help develop a safety habit that will last a lifetime. The time you take to buckle up your child correctly can save their life."

"Working on this project with NLCI is a natural fit for Ford Motor Company," said Sandra Ulsh, President of the Ford Motor Company Fund. "Education is Ford Fund's top priority and we are pleased to be able to work with NLCI and the other Corazon partners to raise awareness of child passenger safety in Latino communities."

For additional information about child passenger safety and seat belts please go to www.nlci.org, www.nhtsa.gov/multicultural, or kidseat.org. Information on child passenger safety is also available by calling the Florida Traffic Safety Resource Center at 1-877-543-7328 or NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236.

The National Latino Children's Institute (NLCI) creates a voice for young Latinos. It is the only national organization that focuses solely on Latino children and youth. Incorporated in 1997 in Texas, NLCI has its headquarters in San Antonio and is a nonprofit organization. NLCI's mission is to promote and implement the National Latino Children's Agenda, a comprehensive statement of principles for the complete and healthy development of young Latinos.

Tips to Protect Children from Transportation-Related Risks

All children 12 and under should ride in the back seat at all times -- either in a child safety seat or buckled up properly.

  * Rear-facing child seats in the back seat for children from birth to at
    least one year of age and 20 pounds.
  * Forward-facing child seats in the back seat from age one to about age
    four and 20 to 40 pounds.

Seat belts can seriously injure or kill small children who are not properly placed in child safety seats, so use ...

  * Booster seats in the back seat for children age 4 to at least age 8, or
    who weigh more than 40 pounds or unless they are at least 4'9".
  * Safety belts at age 8 or older or taller than 4'9".

                      Facts About Traffic Fatalities

  * Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for Hispanic
    children of all ages (after the first year of life).

  * Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for all Latinos
    ages 1-34.

  * Young Latinos are twice as likely to die in a traffic crash than their
    non-Hispanic white counterparts even though Latinos drive half as many
    miles as whites. The primary reasons for this are lack of car safety
    seats and safety belt use.

  * Data collected in Florida from child safety seat checks and fitting
    stations shows that 96% of child safety seats inspected in Florida are
    incorrectly installed.

  * More Hispanics die from traffic crashes in Florida annually than from
    disease or violent crime.

  * In Florida, only 74.6% of Hispanics use safety belts compared to 77.7%
    of Caucasians.

  Sources:
  Centers for Disease Control
  Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles 2000 Traffic Crash
   Facts
  Florida Department of Transportation Safety Office Observational Survey
  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration