Inspector General of Police, Joseph Boinnet has warned motorists found driving under the influence of alcohol of tough punitive action.

According to the force, traffic police officers will soon introduce daytime alcohol blow tests in an effort to curb road accidents caused by drunk driving during the festive season.

The police boss stated this on Friday during the recognition awards ceremony for police officers in Nairobi.

“We have realised one of the single most contributors to reckless driving is drunkenness,” said the Inspector General.

The IG said the police will this time deal differently with drunk drivers by having ‘alcoblow’ tests along the highways both during the day and night.

“People have gotten used to finding ‘alcoblow’ officers at the highway late at night and by 2 or 3am in the morning they are gone. Not anymore,” he said.

He said more traffic police officers will be deployed along the highways during the festivities because thousands of Kenyans travel to their rural homes for the festivities, causing a traffic surge on the roads.

“The alcohol testing will go a long way in ensuring that the number of road fatalities is reduced during this festive season,” Boinnet said.

Boinnet said drivers who have made habit of drinking late in order to avoid ‘alcoblow’ tests will also be targeted in the operation.

The prey is not only on drunk drivers, pedstrians who do not follow the traffic rules, will also dance to the tune of the Police, Boinnet noted.

 “People crossing the roads anyhow without observing the traffic rules and imagining the driver has seen them will also be dealt with accordingly,” he said.

This follows a recent report from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) indicating that the number of road fatalities has reduced compared to last year.