The police chief in Austin says there's no excuse for the highest number of traffic deaths the city has seen since 2000.
Austin has recorded 77 traffic deaths this year, up from 54 last year.
Art Acevedo tells the Austin American-Statesman that 2012 was "a bloody year on our highways. There is no excuse for it. We can't sit back."
Traffic deaths had declined earlier in the year, but surged again by October.
Acevedo says he's considering using more overtime to put officers on traffic enforcement. He says officers will hand out more tickets than warnings.
He says police will meet with prosecutors and officials from neighboring counties to see how they can boost safety.
Police say alcohol factored into at least 32 deaths -- more than 40 percent.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
