Utah lawmakers on Wednesday rejected a proposal to loosen the requirements for using safety seats for children riding in vehicles.

After a sometimes emotional debate about whether it is best to ensure a child's safety on every trip or to provide flexibility for short trips that aren't on highways, the House voted 47-24 against HB113.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Chris Herrod, R-Provo, would have eliminated the requirement for a booster seat for children between 5 and 8 years old on trips less than four miles from home and on roads posted for 45 mph or less. He said it would eliminate obstacles to carpooling and actually improve safety by allowing a child to ride with a family friend instead of walking.

"People are being left at school," Herrod said. "You cannot tell me it's safer to leave a child at school, or to have a child walk alone, than it is to give a child a ride without a booster seat."

Rep. Mike Morley, R-Spanish Fork, said he doesn't condone driving without proper restraints but also doesn't expect government to legislate common sense.

"I really don't see that the law needs to tell us everything to do," he said.

On the other side, Rep. Richard Greenwood, R-Roy, drew on his law-enforcement experience to oppose the bill. He recalled one fatal accident on a low-speed street where he had to remove two dead children from a car.

"If I'm going to err on a piece of legislation like this," Greenwood said, "I'm going to err in favor of the child."

Rep. Jackie Biskupski, D-Salt Lake City, also related work experience in explaining her opposition. She worked 13 years for an insurance company reviewing injury claims.

"The injuries to children are always due to being improperly secured in the car," she said. Those who are killed in crashes often are either thrown from the vehicle or suffer internal injuries from a seat belt that doesn't fit, she said.