No-refusal program targets DUI

Drunk drivers are a consistent cause of fatal traffic collisions in Austin, according to the Austin Police Department. So police are always seeking strategies to prevent impaired driving, especially around the holidays, when people tend to imbibe more than usual and then get in their cars to go imbibe more than usual at other places. In an effort to keep a lid on the terrible human cost of driving while intoxicated, APD is conducting a round of no-refusal, an enforcement strategy that allows police to obtain blood search warrants from suspected drunk drivers who refuse breath or blood tests. Police hope this will encourage those who are planning on drinking to find safe options for getting to and from wherever they’re going that doesn’t involve getting behind the wheel of a car (or bicycle or scooter). Austinites have more travel options than ever before, so it shouldn’t be hard to find an alternative to driving. The no-refusal program will be in effect through Nov. 28, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. each day.