Sen. Dave Schultheis says the Colorado Department of Transportation is wasting mucho dinero by running ads in Spanish that urge drivers to buckle up.
“All these ads are going to do is provide one more assimilation off-ramp for new arrivals,” said Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs. “Bilingualism in our buckle-up ads — just like bilingualism in our schools — will only encourage the further balkanization of our culture, reduce the pressure on new immigrants to learn English and make it harder in the long run for immigrants to become Americans.”
The department will hold a news conference today to announce the TV ad, its first ever Spanish ad campaign. According to CDOT spokeswoman Stacey Stegman, 23 percent of fatal-accident victims last year were Latino. And of 80 Latinos who died in accidents last year, 59 were unbuckled.
“It’s clear that expanded efforts are needed to increase safety-belt use within the state’s Hispanic community,” she said.
Stegman said the ad cost about $15,000 to produce, and CDOT hopes Spanish TV stations will run it free. She said it was paid for out of $5.3 million in federal safety funds.
Tim Hoover: 303-954-1626 or thoover@denverpost.com
