Austin Police Launch 'No Refusal' Weekend

AUSTIN, TX — Austin police will implement a "no refusal" weekend Nov. 17-19, meaning they will be able to draw blood forcefully from drivers unwilling to submit to a sobriety test.

Such "no refusal" weekends were implemented each weekend beginning in January. Before, police reserved the initiatives for times of measurably higher traffic — Super Bowl weekend, New Year's Eve, Fourth of July and the like — when alcohol-fueled parties often take place.

But "no refusal" weekends now are a thing that occurs every weekend. Through the use of bench warrants secured by magistrate judges on duty, police are able to obtain the needed clearance to draw blood from unwilling drivers resisting to be tested for drunkenness.

Police insist that increasing the frequency of "no refusal" weekends is not in an attempt to generate more revenue from tickets and fines: “No Refusal is not about making as many arrests as we can,” Lt. Blake Johnson with APD’s Highway Enforcement Unit said. "It’s about keeping unsafe drivers off Austin roadways and keeping the public safe. No Refusal ensures that we have solid blood alcohol content evidence of every arrest and as such enhances our ability to prosecute people who drive drunk and put others in danger.”

This weekend's "no refusal" weekend precedes the next one from Nov. 24-26.

"By expanding the initiative to all weekends instead of just holidays, APD hopes to deter drinking and driving when it is most likely to occur," police said in a news advisory.

Know before you go, get home safe, police advise.

>>> Image via Shutterstock