BANGKOK (AFP) - Thai police on Monday started distributing "super sour" sweets blessed by a Buddhist abbot in the hope of curbing road accidents by keeping motorists awake with the lip-puckering treats.

Police began distributing 140,000 of the hard sweets ahead of the Buddhist New Year celebrations that run over five days starting Friday.

It's the most important holiday and biggest party time in Thailand, but also a time of carnage on the highways due to the heavy incidence of drunk driving.

An abbot in the southern province of Prachaup Khiri Khan donated 200,000 baht (5,700 dollars) to make 140,000 packets of sweets to give to drivers nationwide.

On Saturday, 2,999 monks gathered at a temple to bless the confectionery, known as "super sours," police said.

"Given the high rate of traffic accidents during the New Year holidays, I tried to figure out how to possibly help to minimise the number" of crashes, regional highway police chief Colonel Panya Pinsuk told AFP.

"The major cause of the accidents is that people get very tired from driving after days of celebration," he said.

"The taste is very sour, which can keep you awake. The candy was also blessed by the monks, which makes people more comfortable and confident when driving," said Panya.

The government hopes to cut the number of road deaths by 15 percent from the nearly 500 who were killed last year.

"sour food makes my eyes close..."

Good one CobraKai :-)

I guess, it takes time to get used to Sour food both for the taste buds and for the digestive system, just like beer in a sense. I am a vetarn now on both scores! Where can i get this food in Bangkok?