Police are implementing a “no-refusal” weekend for Friday and Saturday because of Austin’s Republic of Texas Biker Rally, which is expected to bring 40,000 motorcyclists to the city. Both Austinites and bikers will be subject to the policy, which gives police an automatic warrant to draw blood from anyone who refuses a Breathalyzer test.

The policy was put in place after Austin saw three alcohol-related fatalities, all involving motorcycles, during the Rally last year. DWIs also spike during the ROT Rally, which usually leads to about 100 arrests for the ROT Rally weekend. The last time Austin police implemented a no-refusal policy was Memorial Day weekend. Those three days yielded about 50 arrests.

Austin police are also asking all drivers, whether on two wheels or four, to drive carefully this weekend. Extra traffic, an influx of visitors, and alcohol may create dangerous conditions on the road, making it even more critical to be aware of one’s surroundings.

Do you live in a high-crime area? The answer may not be what you initially think. An interactive crime map built by Trulia shows statistics about Austin crime—both recent happenings as well as a “heatmap” showing which areas have the most criminal incidents per year. Here are some interesting (and useful) facts about Austin crime:

• The three most crime-dense areas in Austin are west campus (near UT), downtown, and East Riverside.
• In the ten days shown on the map on June 8, downtown saw about twice as many criminal incidents than Riverside: about 320. Police reported about 60 in west campus.
• The most arrests are also made downtown: 39 in the past ten days, compared with only two on the edge of west campus.
• Though North Austin is shown as having substantially lower crime rates (1-50 per block per year), certain pockets of high criminal activity exist. For example, near Parmer Lane and I-35, where crime rates are generally low, there are four areas where a substantial amount of criminal activity (about 150 crimes per block per year), each about a block wide.
• The website also lists the most dangerous intersections in Austin. Topping the list are E. 6^th & Trinity, E. 6^th & San Jacinto, and Crystalbrook & Loyo.

If you’ve driven through downtown Austin lately, you may have noticed billboards instructing drivers to buckle up. That’s because from May 23 to June 5, TxDOT is stepping up seat belt enforcement for the Click It or Ticket initiative. They aim to increase use of seat belts by raising awareness and ticketing individuals who don’t buckle up.

This year is the tenth annual Click It or Ticket campaign in Texas, and TxDOT claims that in those ten years, seat belt use has risen by 18%, saving an estimated 2,843 lives. About 94% of Texans use their seat-belt when they’re in a car, a huge jump from the national average of 85%. This year, TxDOT hopes to reach the six percent who don’t use their seat belt, as well as ensure that children younger than 8 ride in a booster seat. Serious car accidents can happen anywhere whether its a quick run to the store or your daily commute so its important to buckle up.

If you’re a driver or a passenger, you could be ticketed if you don’t abide by these occupant restraint laws:

• Every driver and passenger must wear a seat belt. Both drivers and passengers can be ticketed.
• Drivers can also be ticketed if they allow an individual age 17 or younger to ride without a seat belt.
• Drivers can be ticketed if they allow a child age 8 or younger to ride without a secured booster seat, unless than child is 4’9” or taller.

The Texas DPS is currently attempting to fix a program that many believe to be beyond repair. The Driver Responsibility Program establishes annual surcharges for moving traffic violation convictions, as well as DWIs, driving without insurance, and driving without a valid driver’s license. Millions of Texans have had their driver’s licenses suspended because they were unable to pay their ticket, court fees, and surcharges. Meanwhile, the program has not noticeably improved driver responsibility in Texas.

The DPS’s newest reform to the program allows individuals who make less than 125% of the federal poverty level to get their licenses reinstated after only paying 10% of their fines. The indigency program is expected to put a substantial number of drivers back on the road with legal licenses, hopefully preventing fees from stacking up again.

Though the program is a step in the right direction, many lawmakers and citizens feel that it won’t be enough. The minimum surcharge for a DWI is $1000 per year for a total of 3 years. Though the money from the surcharge is directed towards hospital funding, the debt that drivers are forced to accumulate may not be worth the revenue.