HAPPY NEW YEAR, UNLESS YOU’RE DEAD

Thai police have come up with a cunning plan to bring down the number of road deaths during the Buddhist New Year celebrations which claimed over 500 lives last year thanks to drunk and exhausted drivers. The solution? 140,000 packages of super-sour hard candies which have been blessed by 2,999 Buddhist monks. Police have a goal of bringing the death count of the annual carnage down by about 15 percent, hoping that the sour taste of the candies will keep motorists alert enough to at least make it home safe after the celebrations. "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," explained regional highway police chief Colonel Panya Pinsuk. Apparently these geniuses have never heard of the concept of arresting drunk drivers, but I guess it’s impractical to arrest everybody. (AFP)