Car Seat Safety

The YMCA has a unique partnership with the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.  Through our combined public safety initiative we are working together to protect our children. And through our YMCA participation in community outreach events, health fairs, church gatherings and safety demonstrations, we reach thousands of individuals each year.Through these tools, it is our hope to continue educating families in order to drastically reduce the number of injuries and fatalities in the widespread community especially through enabling and empowering minority cultures, specifically the growing Hispanic population in our region.

Annually, 148,000 children are injured in traffic accidents in the United States. And incredibly, over 618,000 children in our community ride in a vehicle without a proper car seat or booster seat. According to the CDC fact sheet, child safety seats reduce the risk of death in passenger cars by 71% for infants, and by 54% for toddlers ages 1 to 4 years. 

The needs to serve the Hispanic population in New Orleans have always been great since the majority of Spanish-speaking residents and newly-arrived immigrants are concentrated within these parishes.  Many immigrants have learned different cultural practices in their countries of origin and are unfamiliar with Child Safety Harness laws upon arrival to the United States.  Often times, safety harness awareness is not a priority in the immigrants’ country of origin.

According to the 2010 US Census, in 2010 the Hispanic Population in New Orleans rose 3.4% since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  The population of Hispanics in Orleans parish is 5.2% and the population of Hispanics in Jefferson Parish is 12.4%, two of the key areas where this program is focused. The total Hispanic population in Louisiana as of 2012 was 4.5%. We estimate that approximately 150,000 to 200,000 Hispanics moved into the Gulf Coast region since the Hurricane Katrina – most in our metropolitan area.   According to the 2010 US Census Jefferson Parish has sustained a 5.3% increase in its Hispanic population.

PSA de Protección del Ocupante del Mes de la Herencia Hispana

La Seguridad de los Niños en el Vehículo

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Read here about car seat safety laws in English

Read here about car seat safety laws in Spanish

For more information please call:  (504) 568-9622 ext. 102