Police patrols saturate roads and water

AUSTIN (KXAN) - In addition to the roadways, police patrols will be saturating the waters with teams on the lookout for drunken boaters.

• In-depth: Independence Day

The Austin Police Department's Lake Patrol will also be enforcing the personal watercraft ban on Lake Austin.

Starting at sunset Wednesday and going through sunrise Thursday, items such as Jet Skis will be banned from the lake.

Travis County Sheriff's Deputy Miguel Careaga was at the Lake Travis boat ramp at Mansfield Dam Wednesday making sure boaters had what they needed to have even before they got into the water.

That means the precheck included a scan for the correct amount of life jackets on board, a fire extinguisher and other safety equipment.

The Lower Colorado River Authority is also warning boaters to be extra careful because of extremely low water levels on the lake.

And make sure you have proper lighting on your boat if you plan to be on the water late to watch the fireworks.

During the No Refusal holiday, police will be looking for drunken drivers beginning at 9 p.m. -- when the No Refusal officially gets under way.

No Refusal means officers can order blood draws from DWI suspects who refuse to take a breath test. A judge is on hand to sign search warrants for those who refuse a breathalyzer.

The No Refusal period will run from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Thursday.

Alcohol-related deaths dipped 60 percent from 2010 to 2011 in Austin. The Department credits the high-profile No Refusal weekends with raising awareness about drinking and driving.

Police recently activated a No Refusal for Memorial Day in May.

Even outside of holidays or periods specified as No Refusal periods, police will automatically ask for a search warrant to draw blood in three instances: if a driver is suspect of a third DWI or more; if there is a child under 15 in the car; or if the driver has been involved in a crash with deadly or serious injuries.

Officers can choose to get a warrant to draw blood if a driver refuses all sobriety tests, if a drug expert believes the driver is under the influence, or if the driver has any prior arrests for DWI.

In addition, police have a new tool in their arsenal against drunken driving: the preliminary alcohol screening device. It's also known as PAS, and Chief Art Acevedo said anyone who registers a 0.05 or less with the PAS device is free to go.