House Bill 113, which would relax Utah's child-safety requirements for children riding in cars, is obviously meant to allow large families to load up the minivan and head off to church or school without having children 5 to 8 years old restrained in car safety seats.

We understand that it's not always convenient for these parents, or any parents, to make sure their children are secure in seats that are appropriate for their age and attached correctly to the car. Families with six or more young children often do not have room for infant car seats and booster seats for all children under 8 at the same time. But that doesn't negate the wisdom of the current law that requires them.

Changing the law to allow for trips under four miles from the child's home on streets where the speed limit is 45 mph or slower doesn't mean a child will be safe. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that approximately 52 percent of all accidents occur within a 5-mile radius of home and nearly a third 2 to 5 miles from home. Vehicle speeds in a 45 mph zone are fast enough for serious accidents to occur.

In response to child advocates representing Primary Children's Medical Center and the American Academy of Pediatrics, who oppose the bill, Rep. Chris Herrod, R-Provo, its sponsor, said he is frustrated by "do-gooders" who try to tell parents what to do. Charles Pruitt, medical director for child advocacy at the medical center and one such do-gooder, described the injuries he routinely sees as a result of children using adult seat belts, as HB113 would allow.

Frankly, Pruitt's anger at "seeing dead children come into my emergency room because they were restrained improperly" carries more weight with us than Herrod's frustration. Herrod is clearly more concerned about parental rights than the rights of all children, who cannot speak for themselves, to be kept safe while riding in cars.

Besides taking a step backward in child safety, HB113 would mean the loss of $151,000 annually in federal funds available to help train parents and others who drive with children in the car about the proper use of infant seats and booster seats. Those funds would not be made up by the state in this year of shrinking revenues and tighter budgets.

Herrod no doubt believes he is acting in the interests of families who don't like the restrictions of the law and don't see the need to abide by it. But, whether it means making two trips to church in the family car or buying another booster seat, families should do what's needed to keep their children safe every time they leave home.