Law enforcement agencies in northeast Kansas are targeting drunk drivers this Saturday and Sunday.
During the “No Refusal Weekend,” suspected drunk drivers who refuse a breathalyzer test will be subject to blood testing for alcohol.
Kansas is one of several states that have implemented the No Refusal initiative by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If a driver won't take a breathalyzer test, police officers are allowed to quickly obtain a warrant to take a blood sample, usually in a medical facility. Since 2016, refusing a breathalyzer test is not a crime.
Chris Bortz, traffic safety program manager for the Kansas Department of Transportation, says No Refusal is "just another tool" to keep impaired drivers off the road.
Anyone driving with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) level of .08 or higher is considered legally impaired. KDOT says impaired drivers cause 25 to 30 percent of traffic fatalities.
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