By KEN THOMAS
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) Child safety seats are easier to use and have made strides with clearer labels and instructions, the government said Wednesday in releasing an annual survey of the seats.

About 80 percent of the 2005 child safety and booster seats tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration received its top overall grade. The government rated 92 child safety seats from 14 different manufacturers.

NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey Runge said the rating program ``provides parents and caregivers with valuable information that they can use for comparison shopping when buying child safety and booster seats.''

Runge said the program also provides a ``powerful incentive'' for manufacturers to produce safe seats that are easy to use.

NHTSA said most of the improvements in this year's models came from clearer labels and instructions, and the survey also found some of the seats were easier to install. Three seats that were re-tested from 2004 improved their overall scores: the Britax Husky, the Britax Roundabout and the Cosco Protek.

The seats were rated based on whether they require preassembly or assembly after purchase, the clarity of labels and instructions, the ease in securing a child in the seat and whether the seat has features making it easier to put inside a vehicle.

The federal government recommends car safety seats for children up to 40 pounds and booster seats for children over 40 pounds until they are 8 years old or 4 feet 9 inches tall. All children should ride in the back seat until age 13.

Safety advocates say the seats prevent injuries because they protect children and fit them better than adult seat belts.

A copy of the ratings can be found at: nhtsa.dot.gov/CPS/CSSRating/Index.cfm

On the Net: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: nhtsa.gov

Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Neither these AP material nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use. AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing.

Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.