New rankings of child car seats.(Up front: news / trends / advice)(from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released its first ratings of child car seats, evaluating 68 seats for their ease of use. The ratings cover 95 percent of the safety seats on the market.

The agency scored some seats twice, either forward-facing and rear-facing or as a toddler and booster seat. Thirty-nine seats earned the highest overall rating, an A. They're generally seats that also received high scores in our Ratings (see the May issue). NHTSA gave 68 seats a B overall. No seat received the lowest score, C, overall, but some earned a C in specific categories.

The complete NHTSA ratings, covering the range from infant seats through booster seats, are available online at www.nhtsa.gov/cps/cssrating or by calling 888-327-4236. The ratings are NHTSA's response to a congressional mandate. The agency assigns an overall grade and assesses five factors: whether the seat needs assembly, the clarity of labeling attached to the seat and instructions regarding its use, how easily a child can be secured in the seat, and whether the seat has features enhancing its ease of installation.

The government ...