More Than 200 Drivers Busted For DWI During 'No Refusal' SXSW/Spring Break Period

AUSTIN, TX — Police arrested more than 200 people and charged them with driving while intoxicated during the "no refusal" initiative rooting out drunk drivers during the period covering SXSW and Spring Break.

The "no refusal" period allowed police to draw blood from motorists refusing to voluntarily provide a sample or declining breathalyzer tests via bench warrants from local judges. The effort began on March 3 and ended Monday evening, targeting impaired drivers from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. each day of the police undertaking.

All told, 202 people were arrested and subsequently charged with DWI. Among those charged, 100 had forcible blood draws due to lack of voluntary consent, 31 consented to blood samples and another 71 volunteered to breathe into a breathalyzer.

Of the 202 arrested, 18 had one prior conviction and 27 had a sample of 0.15 or higher, both Class A misdemeanors in a state where 0.08 is the legal blood alcohol content in driving. Others were charged with felony DWI, including nine who had two or more DWI convictions and five who had children in the car at the time of their impaired driving.

"The Austin Police Department is continuously focused on preventing lives from being lost on the streets, highways and waterways of Austin," police said in a prepared statement. "The department is dedicated to making the roadways and waterways of Austin safe for residents and visitors through education and enforcement."

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