The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) is currently using advanced breathalyser as it steps up war against drunk driving on Kenyan roads.
The gadgets give results faster than the previous ones and can instantly print alcohol level results of drunk drivers.In 2017, the NTSA Director General Francis Meja said they acquired 50 new gadgets from the World Bank, and distributed them across the country.
“We intend to use them during our random drink driving operation in towns and major highways,” he said adding that the gadgets will boost their evidence-based operations.
Mr Meja has attributed 80 per cent of accidents in Kenyan roads are attributed to human behaviour.
“Alcohol impairs a drivers cognitive ability turning them into a hazard on the road. It impairs vision, judgment sensory ability. All being critical aspects of safe driving,” he said.
The operations has deterred many motorists from driving under the influence of alcohol since the the gadgets were introduced.
“We have noted a number of revellers opt to take a taxi rather than driving, which is very encouraging,” he said.
However beer lovers and bar owners had previously got false reprieve after reports that the Court of Appeal had nullified use of alcoblows leading to motorists, who had been arrested after failing alcoblow tests released by magistrates due to the misinterpretation.
However, it later emerged that the Appellate Judges had ruled that it was illegal for motorists to be charged under the rules that operationalised the Traffic Act instead of the Act.
Put differently, the judges wanted offending motorists charged under the substantive Act itself and not the rules, meaning only the charges were defective and not the law as had been interpreted.
NTSA has since been charging drunk drivers under Section 44 (1) of the Traffic Act, which prohibits driving under the influence.
Are the gadgets better than those used before?