Alaska…

is by far the most interesting place I’ve lived (I’m looking at you, Texas). That said, Alaska has some customs and laws that took some getting used to. Once I’d lived here for a while, I realized those laws I found weird are necessary considering Alaska’s unique challenges. Without further ado, here are some interesting Alaskan laws that just make sense.

Having A Low Speed Limit

Having lived in Washington and Texas, traveling the highways in Alaska seems slow. Most places have a top speed of 55 mph, compared to 65 and 85. Heck, I even got pulled over in Texas for going too slow once, and I was already driving 10 mph over to keep with traffic!

There are a couple of factors that make driving 55 mph a smart choice. The biggest one is that moose are hard to see, especially at dawn and dusk when they are out most. They are dark colored and don’t look into head lights so their eyes don’t reflect. According to scientists, even with high beams drivers can’t see moose until they are about 98 yards away, if they are on the shoulder. A vehicle traveling 60 mph in ideal conditions still needs 94 yards to come to a stop. Comparatively, a vehicle driving 50 mph only needs 67 yards to stop. So while 55 mph may seem slow, it really makes sense!

Concealed Carry Permits Are Not Required

Alaska is what is considered a constitutional carry state. This means that if you are 21+ and legally allowed to own a firearm, you can conceal carry in Alaska without a permit or licensing first. While the state can issue concealed carry permits, like other states, they aren’t required to carry a firearm. This makes sense when you consider how many gun owners there are in Alaska, and why they carry. Most Alaskans carry daily for wildlife, as bear and moose can be dangerous, and are often found in populated areas. There are, of course, some limits to this, such as not carrying in K-12 schools.

Roadkill Is The Property Of The State

This Alaskan law seems a little weird at first, but let’s break it down. Most vehicle vs animal accidents happen in winter, when visibility is low and temperatures lower. This means that roadkill takes a while to begin spoiling. Temperatures below 40F retard bacterial growth, making it still safe to cook and consume. An adult moose, the animal most often salvaged on Alaskan roadways, can weigh nearly 1700 lbs and produce almost 600 lbs of meat when dressed out.

When a moose is killed by a vehicle, Alaskan State Troopers or volunteers will collect the animal and it will then be processed and delivered to places such as soup kitchens. There are even roadkill lists that people can sign up to recieve meat from! In a state where 1 in 7 people suffer from food insecurity, the safe salvaging of road kill makes a lot of sense.