Valentine’s Day carries new message:
Estás en mi corazón y te abrocho el cinturón

San Antonio, Texas — This year Valentine’s Day carries a new message of love. The holiday falls in the middle of Child Passenger Safety Week, a national week to remind parents and caregivers that all children should be placed in child safety seats, booster seats or seat belts every time they ride in a car or truck.

In conjunction with the holiday and Child Passenger Safety Week, which is Feb. 11–18, community organizations around the country will focus on how much they love their children by making sure they are safely restrained in car seats and booster seats.

Many of these organizations will implement Corazón de mi vida, a national bilingual initiative to inform Latino families, child care providers and the Spanish-speaking community about child passenger safety. In addition, the National Latino Children’s Institute, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and Aspira of New York will host a major press conference and a child passenger safety clinic in the Bronx, N.Y. The event will provide statistics documenting rates of traffic death and injury among Latinos, as well as testimonials and endorsements, a preview of the Corazón de mi vida program and demonstrations of the proper use of child passenger seats.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for Latinos ages 1 to 44 and the third leading cause of death for all ages, surpassed only by heart disease and cancer, according to new statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control. The death rate from motor vehicle crashes for Hispanic children between the  ages of 5 and 12 is 72 percent higher than the rate for non-Hispanic children, according to NHTSA. Furthermore, young Latinos drive half as many miles as their non-Hispanic white counterparts, but they are twice as likely to die in a traffic fatality.

“The biggest problem is that the Latino community has not received information about car seats and seatbelt use in a way that resonates with them,” said Rebéca Barrera, president of the National Latino Children’s Institute. “Many Latinos think that they can keep their children safe by hugging them tightly on their laps in the front seat of the car. And although this is one sign of love, in today’s fast-paced world a more effective way to keep your child safe is in a car seat or a booster seat.”

Corazón de mi vida, which was developed by the National Latino Children’s Institute (NLCI), in partnership with NHTSA and Nationwide Insurance, utilizes the cultural strengths of the Latino community as the foundation for passenger restraint education, emphasizing the valuable role children play in the lives of their families and society. Cultural values, traditions and spirituality are incorporated into the program to help change behavior.

 “The words ‘corazón de mi vida’ mean ‘you are the center of my life.’ This phrase captures the essence of child passenger safety for Latinos. We believe this message is so powerful that it will change the behaviors of Latinos who may not know how urgent it is for their children to ride in the backseat, buckled up in a safety seat,” Barrera said.

NLCI found that more than half of the parents attending Corazón de mi vida events around the country did not own safety seats until they participated in the program. In addition, almost every child safety seat checked at Corazón de mi vida events failed inspection.

“By taking into account Latino cultural traditions and lifestyles, NLCI outreach strategies recognize the good things parents are already doing for their children. Corazón de mi vida builds on parents’ love for their children and invites them to become partners in keeping their children safe—all with a distinct Latino sabor,” Barrera said.

NLCI also found that the Latino extended family structure, coupled with poverty, can create difficult  situations when it comes to using child safety seats.

“Safety seats are expensive, and they take up space,” said Conrad Gonzales, NLCI’s director of safety programs. “Many Latino families are large and some work in businesses that require trucks, and this may be the only family vehicle. Accommodating the whole family in a small car or truck poses problems.

“Only the most expensive trucks can accommodate more than two persons in seats, and since elders ride in the most comfortable seats, some children ride in the bed of the truck. Frequently, mothers hold the youngest child in their lap, thinking this is the safest place for them.”

In addition to space and economic considerations, religious and cultural views can be misinterpreted when it comes to passenger restraints. 

“Phrases handed down through the centuries,” Barrera said, “such as lo que Dios quiera [whatever God wills], might suggest, ‘What’s the point? I have no control over my destiny.’ Instead of ignoring or blaming the concept of fatalism, Corazón de mi vida incorporates spiritual beliefs by holding car seat blessings and encouraging people to ‘help God keep them safe.’ ” 

Tested in 12 cities with diverse Latino populations, Corazón de mi vida has proven that Latinos will respond  to messages and buckle up their children when the message speaks to their hearts.

The program uses appealing culture-based materials combined with four unique community activities. At parent pláticas, often hosted at childcare centers, churches, clinics and community centers, parents discuss child passenger safety and common attitudes. Culturally based materials are distributed and participants watch a demonstration of the correct installation of a safety seat. At safety seat blessings, a religious leader blesses the car seats to be distributed and reminds parents that they have been entrusted with their child’s well-being.

“These events, held in tandem with a press conference and a car seat installation clinic, ensure that the program connects personally with each participant,” Barrera said.

“As the Hispanic community continues to grow, the nonuse or misuse of car seats and seatbelts is emerging as a significant public health issue,” NHTSA spokesman Gabriel Cano said. “This bilingual initiative focuses on concerns such as the correct use of seatbelts and child safety seats, pedestrian safety, and drinking and driving prevention.”

Nationwide Insurance has been a strong supporter of NLCI’s efforts nationally to safeguard the lives of Latino children through the proper use of child passenger safety seats, donating $350,000 toward both the initiative and the purchase of child passenger safety seats for distribution through community-based organizations.

“Nationwide is proud to fund this unprecedented program. We are committed to working closely with our partners at NLCI and NHTSA,” said Marco Capalino, director of markets development at Nationwide Insurance.

NLCI is a nonprofit organization that creates a voice for young Latinos through community initiatives that  lead to their full and healthy development. Its mission is to promote and implement the National Latino Children’s Agenda, a statement of principles necessary for the healthy and complete development of Latino children.

NLCI also works to promote a better understanding of Latino heritage, culture, and history and of the issues and challenges facing young Latinos in the United States.

For more information about Corazón de mi vida or the National Latino Children’s Institute, call Conrad Gonzales at (210) 228-9997.

 

This project is possible with funding from

U.S. Department of Transportation         People Saving People