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Highway department urges Hispanics to buckle-up

ASHLEY DICKSON
summit daily news
Summit County, CO Colorado

In 2007, 23 percent of unbuckled car crash victims in Colorado were Latinos, prompting the Colorado Department of Transportation to create its first-ever Spanish public service announcement.

“Safety is a top priority for CDOT, and this PSA continues our efforts to reach Hispanics in Colorado with culturally- and linguistically-relevant safety messaging,” said Stacey Stegman, spokeswoman for the state agency.

The new announcements look to “reverse the trend” officials are noticing in crash victims, and they encourage child passenger safety and the importance of wearing seatbelts.



“Automobile crashes are the leading cause of death for Hispanics between 1 – 44 years of age,” said Gina Espinosa-Salcedo, deputy regional administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Our goal is to get more drivers and passengers to always buckle up…. A seat belt can mean the difference between life and death.”

Over the past two years, the highway department has worked closely with Hispanic organizations like Clinica Tepeyac and Servicios de la Raza to reach out to the population that represents 20 percent of the state.



Working with Denver-base advertising agency Hispanidad, the agency’s new commercials focus on the family and remind individuals that taking care of your family starts with proper use of passenger restraints in your car or truck.

The new announcements feature a Hispanic man and his teenage daughter and alludes to the idea that Hispanics go extra lengths to protect the things they care about, according to Heather Halpape the agency.

The commercial can be seen on various English and Spanish-language television station and cost $15,000 to produce.


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