Austin police launch ‘No Refusal’ initiative all summer to better enforce drunk driving laws – The Daily Texan

The Austin Police Department launched its Drive Sober Summer No Refusal initiative on June 1 to give officers the opportunity to better enforce laws against drunk driving. The initiative will run nightly from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. from June 1 through August 31.

Typically, people can refuse to take a blood alcohol test when they are arrested for alleged driving under the influence, says Jason Day, a detective with the Austin Police Department’s DUI Investigation Unit. Without a refusal, however, officers can document why they believe a person was driving drunk and present the document to a judge. If the judge believes the suspect may have been driving drunk, he or she can issue a search warrant so the officer can check for alcohol or drug levels.

Day said no refusal and the ability to provide better evidence in court through blood alcohol testing will help drunk driving cases settle more quickly. He said a blood alcohol test increases the likelihood of a drunk driver being convicted, which he hopes will deter people from getting behind the wheel after a few drinks.

“Our most important message is for people to make good choices,” Day said. “Go out, have fun and enjoy Austin. Make a plan beforehand and figure out how you’re going to get home safely because a one-time decision can change not only your life but someone else’s life so dramatically.”

Day said there were about 100 drunk driving-related crashes in Austin each month between January and March. He said APD introduced the initiative in the summer because people go out more often at that time.

“Austin is a very active community with lots of concerts and sporting events all year round and all times of the week,” Day said. “With the better weather and activities, people are more likely to go out because they are more likely to drink alcohol and then decide to drive.”

Sharon Rong, a third-year biochemistry student, said she knows the many dangers associated with drunk driving and believes there needs to be more education about driving under the influence.

“There should be more prevention measures, maybe more conversations about how to drink responsibly and an improvement in drinking culture,” Rong said. “Because if you want to drink, you’ll naturally find a way to do it.”

Annette Velasco, director of public health and Longhorn EMS, said she previously worked on creating a curriculum for harm reduction workshops that address substance abuse and driving under the influence.

“The best way (to address the problem of drunk driving) is always public health,” Velasco said. “You just have to try to educate people as best you can and just tell them, ‘Hey, if you don’t feel good after a drink, you shouldn’t drive … or here are the other resources.'”