NAWALPARASI: "Your blood pressure is quite high. You need to rest before you restart your vehicle," Traffic Police Head Constable Bal Krishna Panta tells dozens of drivers almost every night.

Panta is not a health professional. However, he has been assigned with checking blood pressure of drivers at the Refresh Centre based in Kawasoti of Lawalparasi district.

The Nawalparasi District Traffic Police Office has been running the Centre for last few months with an aim to reduce traffic accidents along the East-West Highway.

The DTPO said such a centre is the first of its kind in Nepal.

The logic behind introduction of the centre is that not only the condition of roads and vehicles, but also physical and psychological status of the driver significantly determines liability of accidents.

For example, high blood pressure can intensify anger in people, while people with high or low blood pressure may fall unconscious anytime.

Such health conditions may result into accidents, according to police.

The Refresh Centre also provides the drivers an opportunity to take rest for 15 to 20 minutes to cool out, according to Panta.

If they wish, they can even take longer time to rest, he added.

"The drivers are positive toward our services," Panta said, "They are happy that they can get their blood pressure checked for free and can rest too."

"We feel energetic while driving after a rest here," a Nepalgunj-Kathmandu bus driver Gyanu Dahal said, "We feel fresh and not sleepy; and accidents are less likely."

According to Panta, around 100 to 120 bus drivers check into the Centre every night from 11 pm to 4 am.

The Centre also monitors if a long-route bus has at least two drivers and if the drivers are drunk, according to a traffic police official Padam Badu.