With tractor-trolley mishaps claiming over 1,500 lives in five years — most of them farmers — Punjab is confronting a rural road safety crisis head-on. Between 2017 and 2022, the state reported 2,048 such accidents, accounting for nearly six percent of all road fatalities. Alarmed by the toll, Punjab Police on Wednesday launched an ambitious campaign to prevent these tragedies before they happen.
Taking a decisive stride toward enhancing rural road safety, Punjab Police launched a focused road safety awareness campaign — I Am A Safety Hero — in partnership with Yara India. The campaign, officially unveiled at the Punjab Police Headquarters, is a first-of-its-kind initiative to reduce fatalities involving agricultural vehicles, especially tractor-trolleys, which continue to be a major cause of accidental deaths in rural Punjab.
The campaign was rolled out by Punjab Police’s Traffic and Road Safety Wing, under the guidance of Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav. Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Traffic and Road Safety, AS Rai led the launch and described the programme as a crucial step in turning the tide on rural road safety challenges.
“This initiative is aimed at transforming mindsets through education and participation. Our goal is to instill safe driving habits among farmers, transporters, and mandi workers by making safety a shared community responsibility,” said ADGP Rai. He also underscored the campaign’s alignment with the Punjab Government’s larger vision of a proactive, people-oriented police force.
As part of the launch, specially-designed reflective safety stickers for tractor-trolleys were introduced alongside robust Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) kits. These resources will be distributed widely across Traffic and Road Safety Education Cells in all districts and police commissionerates, where they will be used to reach thousands of students, farmers, and transporters through structured awareness programmes.
A flagship three-day Model Farmers’ Awareness Camp will kick off the campaign at Asia’s largest grain market — Khanna Mandi — from Thursday. This high-impact pilot includes a dedicated, air-cooled awareness booth at the Market Committee Office, classroom-style sessions, live demonstrations, street plays, and the distribution of safety gear. At least 10 intensive sessions will be conducted, with Khanna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jyoti Yadav inaugurating the event.
Backing the campaign, Yara South Asia managing director Sanjiv Kanwar emphasized the company’s commitment to the welfare of Indian farmers. “Through ‘I Am A Safety Hero’, we aim to take life-saving information directly to the grassroots. Our collaboration with Punjab Police ensures that every village and mandi gets the message — road safety is not optional, it’s essential,” he said.
Highlighting the urgent need for such interventions, ADGP Rai cited sobering statistics. Between 2017 and 2022, Punjab recorded 2,048 tractor-trolley accidents resulting in 1,569 fatalities, most of whom were farmers. These accidents make up nearly six percent of all road accident deaths in the state — an alarming figure that necessitates immediate preventive action.
Punjab Road Safety and Traffic Research Centre director (PRSTRC) Dr Navdeep Asija called the Khanna model “just the beginning” of what will be a larger, community-rooted movement across rural Punjab. “We are committed to replicating this awareness model across major grain markets and village clusters to spark local innovation in road safety,” he said.
The ongoing awareness and sticker campaign will culminate on April 28, aligning with the ‘World Day for Safety and Health at Work’. However, this is only the first phase. Following this, the Punjab Police will roll out a state-wide road safety awareness drive through its dedicated Traffic and Road Safety Education Cells, covering schools, mandis, and high-risk rural stretches.
