APD continues 'no refusal' weekend

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Austin Police Department is enforcing their first time ever Fourth of July holiday No-Refusal initiative.

What that means for drivers is that if you refuse a breathalyzer test, police can get a warrant to take your blood.

APD started enforcing the No-Refusal Blood Draw on Wednesday, July 1 and lasts through Sunday, July 5.

Officers are processing all the suspects at the "BAT" bus, or "breath alcohol testing" bus, which they set up on the street. The BAT bus is used to process suspects on a regular basis, but throughout the holiday weekend, police are administering both breath and blood tests in the bus.

From the No-Refusal DWI crackdowns in the past, there were 54 arrests on Halloween weekend, 24 on New Year's and 21 arrests on Super Bowl Sunday.

The DWI initiative is an effort to enforce DWI laws and to keep the public safe while letting drunk drivers know the consequences.

Police Chief Art Acevedo announced this program last year. He said that there were 821 drunk driving related crashes in Austin in 2007 and that his plan will save lives and guarantee a higher conviction rate.