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Federal Grant to Hispanic Coalition for National Traffic Safety Program

30 September 1998

Transportation Secretary Slater Announces
Grant to Hispanic Coalition
For National Traffic Safety Program


        U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater today announced a
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) grant of $225,000
to the National Coalition of Hispanic Health and Human Services
Organizations in Washington, D.C., for traffic safety programs with the
potential of reaching millions of Hispanic people in the United States.

        "Safety is President Clinton's highest transportation priority,"
Secretary Slater said.  "This grant will help prevent injuries and save
lives by providing important information about traffic safety to Hispanic
people in this country."

        With funds from the grant, the  National Coalition of Hispanic
Health and Human Services Organizations will:

*  provide technical assistance to NHTSA in the development of culturally
and linguistically appropriate traffic safety messages for the Hispanic
community, and appropriate delivery mechanisms for those messages;

 * expand its National Hispanic Traffic Safety Program (NHTSP), using
case studies of current successful projects combined with elements of
NHTSA's Safe Communities program, to Hispanic communities to support
states engaged in Buckle Up America programs;
*  bring together a coalition of organizations that target the
Hispanic population to assist in the expansion of their NHTSPs and in the
development of appropriate messages and delivery mechanisms; and

*  conduct a national traffic safety outreach program, focusing on
NHTSA's priority program initiatives such as Buckle Up America periodic
mobilizations, Drunk and  Drugged Driving Awareness Month, and Child
Passenger Safety Week.

        "We are pleased to continue to work with the coalition in a
life-saving movement," said NHTSA Ad lministrator Ricardo Martinez, M.D.
The grant funds will be provided to the coalition through September 1999.

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