June 4, 2003
Child-passenger safety training focuses on Latino families
The importance of buckling up, how car seats and booster seats protect children, and the state’s seat belt and car seat laws will all be part of training sessions for Latino community outreach workers this week. Participants will be able to teach Latino parents about keeping their children safe in the car.
Research shows the need for such training in the Latino community. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children, and booster seats have been shown to be effective in reducing injuries and death in motor vehicle crashes for children aged 4- to 8-years old. Yet research indicates that Latino families are less likely to use car seats and booster seats to protect young passengers.
The one-day training sessions, the first such classes in the state to be offered in Spanish, are designed to raise awareness of car seats, booster seats and seat belts among Latino families. Taking place in Tri-Cities, Yakima, Everett and Federal Way, the sessions will be taught in Spanish for health-care employees and outreach workers who work and live in Latino communities.
The classes are sponsored by the Booster Seat Coalition, Safety Restraint Coalition, SAFE KIDS Coalition, Washington Traffic Safety Commission, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, and Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center.
“Latino families love their children, and our campaign is committed to providing parents with an important tool for keeping their kids safe,” says Dr. Beth Ebel, an investigator at the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center and a University of Washington assistant professor of pediatrics. “Families need good information, but up until recently, little was available in Spanish. This campaign will go a long way toward filling that need.”
The classes are being led by Irene Rodr?ez of the Instituto Nacional de los Ni? Latinos (NLCI) of San Antonio, Texas. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration works with NLCI to provide child-passenger safety training in Spanish.
The Booster Seat Coalition’s new Latino outreach program focuses on educating families about child-passenger safety, including booster seats, through community education, media campaigns, printed materials and coupons. The program involves schools, churches, community centers and Latino organizations.
Washington’s Child Restraint Law requires that children be restrained in car seats or booster seats when riding in motor vehicles.
To help families obtain a booster seat, the Booster Seat Coalition now offers discount coupons. To order the coupons or to learn more about the booster seat campaign, click on www.boosterseat.org. Information in Spanish can be found at: www.boosterseat.org by selecting the Espa?option.
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