The Road Safety Council has decided to set up free black-tea and coffee vending machines in accident-prone areas in Kasaragod district to keep drivers refreshed and to prevent them falling asleep during late-night trips.

The machines will be set up in 15 high-risk areas on National Highway 66 and Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP) roads, which witnessed 58 deaths in 215 road accidents between 2016 and 2018. The council has identified Manjeswaram, Hidayat Nagar, Uduma Lalit Resort, Poinachi, Palakkunnu, Kunjathur Mada, Uppala Gate, Periya Bazaar, Cheruvathoor, Thrikkannadu, Karuvacherry, Mangalpadi, Hosangadi Vamanchur, Cherkala and Neeleswaram as the high-risk areas, where most accidents occur during the night.

The council decided to set up the vending machines based on an initiative taken by the Kasaragod District Printing and Publishing Cooperative Society, which has established free tea and coffee vending machines at Vidya Nagar.

T.K. Rajan, national secretary of the All India Road Transport Workers Federation and president of the Society, said many accidents took place due to the carelessness of drivers who fell asleep at the wheel. However, having black tea or coffee from the vending machines would leave them refreshed and ready for the rest of the journey, he added.

The vending unit contains two flasks with 30 cups of black tea and coffee. There is also a water tank with 250 litres of purified drinking water, which the drivers could use for drinking or washing their faces.