Alaska State and Wildlife Troopers increase patrols to enforce seat belt laws

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) - Alaska State and Wildlife Troopers have announced that they are conducting additional traffic patrols in a campaign to enforce seat belt laws. This latest campaign will run until June 6.

According to a press release, wearing a seat belt could have saved an estimated 2,549 lives in 2017. Alaska Wildlife Trooper Sergeant Michael Potter says troopers can pull you over even if not wearing a seat belt is the only violation they witness.

“Drivers should always wear their seat belts. It’s the law in Alaska. Everybody in the vehicle has to wear a seat belt. In addition to that, we always, of course, we enforce all traffic regulations for public safety reasons, and so that’ll be a campaign coming up here that will include multiple troopers as well as probably some other agencies in the state,” Potter said.

Funding for the extra patrols comes from grants from the Alaska Highway Safety Office.

Motorists who see someone driving dangerously are encouraged to call 911.

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