Over the past two days, there have been two car crashes resulting in critical injury and death.
In one of those cases police say the driver, a vacationing state senator from North Dakota, was not wearing a seatbelt.
He died, but his 11-year-old grandson -- safely buckled up in the back -- sustained no injuries.
In the other case, a car accident involving five Chugiak High School students, police say at least one person was likely not wearing a seatbelt.
Jayme Branson is visiting from Montana, and he says he's always willing to buckle up.
"20 or 30 years ago, we didn't wear them as much, but these days cars are safe, if you wear the seatbelts you have a high probability of surviving a crash," said Branson.
"You can't tell for certain that it would be a different outcome if they didn't have their seatbelts on, said Megan Peters with the Alaska State Troopers, referring to the Sterling Highway incident that killed North Dakota Senate Majority Leader Bob Stenehjem, "but it would really be nice for the family not to have to wonder if that's why their loved ones were dead or injured."
The Bismarck Tribune reports that "As a state senator, Bob Stenehjem opposed proposals to make North Dakota's seat-belt law into a primary enforcement law, and friends said he personally disliked wearing a seat belt."
Failure to wear a seat belt is a primary offense in Alaska, meaning that law-enforcement officers -- including troopers -- can pull you over for that offense alone.
"If that trooper that's passing you is on the Bureau of Highway Patrol and you're not wearing your seatbelt, you can believe it, he will pull you over just for that," Peters said.
Statistics compiled by the Alaska Highway Safety Office show that seatbelt use has risen over the last ten years in Alaska. In 2000, observational seatbelt usage was only 61 percent, according to a report from AHSO. The national average was 71 percent.
By 2010, Alaska's seatbelt usage had increased to 87 percent, while the national average was 85 percent.
Contact Jason Lamb at jlamb@ktuu.com
