New Video Highlights Children’s Safety
during El Día de Los Niños
San Antonio, Texas — A new video designed to educate the Latino community about child passenger safety will be released in conjunction with El Día de Los Niños Celebrating Young Americans.
On April 30, communities around the country will celebrate El Día de Los Niños, a traditional Latino holiday that honors children and youth. The new Spanish-language video, which is in the form of a novela, or story, emphasizes the importance of child passenger safety for children ranging from newborn to 80 pounds.
“One way we can show how much we love our children on this day is to take the time to see this video and learn how to correctly protect children when they are riding in our cars,” said Rebeca Barrera, president of the National Latino Children’s Institute.
The video is part of Corazón de mi vida, a national bilingual initiative developed by the National Latino Children’s Institute (NLCI), a nonprofit organization that creates a voice for young Latinos. The initiative grew out of a partnership of NLCI with Nationwide Insurance and the National Highway Transportation Administration.
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 white children. Furthermore, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among Hispanics under the age of 24 and the third-leading cause of death for all Hispanics, surpassed only by heart disease and cancer, according to statistics compiled by NHTSA.
“This one-of-a-kind video captures the essence of Latino family life. In the video, family members at a reunion discover the importance of correctly installing child safety seats,” Barrera said. “Because it uses culturally appropriate materials and strategies, it’s easy for Latino families to become involved in keeping their children safe.”
The Corazón de mi vida initiative was designed to inform Hispanic families, child care providers and the Spanish-speaking community about child passenger safety. Tested in 12 cities with diverse Latino populations, the initiative has proven that Latinos will respond to messages and buckle up their children when the message speaks to their hearts.
“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.
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 and donated $240,000 last year toward both the initiative and the purchase of child passenger safety seats.
“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.
This project is possible with funding from
U.S. Department of Transportation 
People Saving People
