How to Stay Safe on Dirty Sixth

Overtime 6th street has gained notoriety for being the heart of entertainment district in the city of Austin. Sixth street can be described as the Bourbon Street of Austin. Bars, clubs, restaurants, and food trucks litter the entire street. While on 6th street one can meet a number of characters that add merit to the “Keep Austin Weird” slogan. People in elaborate costumes, performers, and kimchi fries can be found on 6th street on any given night. As entertaining and enjoyable as dirty 6th can be, it can also quickly become a dangerous place. Intoxicated people, reckless drivers and a number of other factors can be the cause of incident and injury. Whether you are an Austin native or visitor, the following tips can help keep you safe while on 6th.

  1. Transportation

When venturing downtown carefully consider your method of transportation. Driving your vehicle downtown can create more problems than it solves. Parking downtown can be a nightmare. Inflated parking prices and the threat of towing can be compelling enough for you to leave your car at home. There are a number of ways to arrive on 6th street. Taxi cabs, pedicabs, ride share services (Uber & Lyft), buses, and your own feet can take you downtown safely. Not only do you avoid the atrocity that is parking, you can also avoid being in the midst of a reckless driver while driving home. Utilizing an alternative method of transportation can also protect you from encountering drunk and negligent drivers on the road. There are some areas downtown that can better accommodate those who drove themselves. West 6th and 4th street (warehouse district) are more vehicle friendly locations.

  1. Homeless population

Like most moderately sized cities Austin has a growing homeless population. Downtown, especially on 6th street is a popular location for the homeless to congregate. Most of the homeless people are harmless and do not bother you if you do not bother them. However, there have been violent situations in the past that involved homeless people. Be respectful to everyone you meet on 6th, this includes homeless people.

  1. College students

Austin may not necessarily be a college town, but there is a large population of college students that occupy the city. The close proximity of the University of Texas to the downtown area means that college students spend most of their weekends downtown. Students in their college years want to create lasting memories with roommates and classmates. Some of these memories are made during drunken debaucheries downtown. Intoxicated college students often feel invincible when downtown, this may lead to extremely reckless behavior. A few of these reckless activities include initiating bar fights, starting street fights, or aggravating police officers. Be aware of intoxicated college students and their potentially reckless behavior. One should note that college students are not the only people on 6th that can engage in disorderly behavior.

If you have been involved in an car accident involving a negligent driver, feel free to contact our Austin personal injury lawyers at .