This is part of a sponsored campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
Living in California means that we spend a significant amount of time in our car driving from school and extra-curricular activities to playdates, church, and other places for even simple errands like grocery shopping. We don’t live in a walkable city, so teaching my children the importance of staying securely strapped in their car seats has been a message I’ve been instilling within them since they were infants. I also model this important behavior by buckling up my own seat belt immediately and waiting for each passenger to do the same before turning on the car.
Admittedly, I was surprised to learn that car crashes continue to be the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 2 and 6. Despite the vast amount of information and resources available, there seems to be a knowledge gap that needs to be filled amongst parents and children to decrease the incidences of these tragedies. While I think that parents must understand the basics of transportation safety such as proper car seat installation and use and why children need to wear helmets when riding bicycles, this information also needs to be communicated to children in a way that is both meaningful and actionable. And that is why I adore Chuggington’s ¡Piensa Seguro, Viaja Seguro, Mantente Seguro! website, specifically offering Spanish-language materials for families.
¡Piensa Seguro, Viaja Seguro, Mantente Seguro! is brought to you by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Ludorum, the producers of the popular Chuggington television series. You may remember that when the English language site launched three years ago, I shared some information about Chuggington’s Think Safe, Ride Safe, Be Safe! program which teaches children about transportation safety from a fun, engaging approach utilizing characters they already know and love. ¡Piensa Seguro, Viaja Seguro, Mantente Seguro! features lessons on 4 different areas of transportation safety including pedestrian, bus, bike, and car seat safety. The website was designed for children preschool aged to 1st grade and both of my children have been enjoying the lessons they’re learning from Chuggington’s “trainees” Wilson, Koko, and Brewster. Some of the resources offered on the site include coloring pages, tip sheets, videos, and an interactive game.
While spending some time on the site with my kids, I realized that I don’t spend nearly as much time talking about bike and pedestrian safety which are becoming more and more of a priority as my children get older. I still walk or drive my son to school each morning and while I always probe him to cross only at a crosswalk and to look both ways before crossing a street, I don’t think I’ve emphasized other principles as strongly like walking facing traffic. Similarly, my kids do spend some time every week riding bikes, but I haven’t made a concerted effort to sit down and talk about the safest places to ride their bikes. Many children take their first bus trip in Kindergarten, often without their parents. Teaching children concepts such as how to get on and off of a bus and what the expectations are during a bus ride.
Everyone wants to keep their children safe from car crashes. But crashes can also happen on a child’s bike, as a pedestrian, and as a bus passenger. Teaching children practical tips could save them from serious injury or death. Visit Chuggington.com/Seguridad, a fun and informative Spanish-language website for parents and their children, for free printable coloring and activity sheets, safety-inspired games, and tips for staying safe whether your kids are walking, riding or biking. You can also stay up-to-date by visiting the following social media channels:
NHTSA on Facebook
NHTSA on Twitter
Images: Ludorum unless otherwise noted.
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