Child death rates from car crashes in the U.S. have fallen by at least 43 percent over the past decade.
In one out of every three car crash-related deaths the child was not using a seat belt or safety seat, suggesting even more deaths could be prevented, Reuters reported.
The findings were published in a CDC report.
"The good news is motor vehicle deaths decreased by 43 percent over the past decade for children age 12 and younger. The tragic news is still with that decrease, more than 9,000 kids were killed on the road in this period," CDC Director Thomas Frieden said in a telephone news conference, Reuters reported.
"Thousands of children are at risk on the road because they are not buckled up," he said.
The researchers found a much higher rate of African Americana and Hispanic children who were not buckled in between 2008 and 2009.
"The difference was nearly half (45 percent for blacks and 46 percent for Hispanics) versus a quarter (26 percent) for white kids," Frieden said, Reuters reported.
About 9,000 children have died in car crashes in the U.S. over the past decade, the CDC reported.
The CDC said parents can help protecting their children by "Knowing how to use car seats, booster seats, and seat belts; using them on every trip, no matter how short; Setting a good example by always using a seat belt themselves."
Only two states, Tennessee and Wyoming, have child restraint laws that require children under the age of eight to use a booster seat.
Using the correct booster seat for the child's size is also an important safety factor. From birth to the age of two children should sit in a rear-facing car seat. The child should remain in a car seat until the age of five, or when they reach an appropriate height and weight. Children between the ages of five and eight should use a booster seat.
