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Call for art: second annual SANRAL Chekicoast Road Safety Art Competition

Issued by SANRAL
Pretoria, Aug 27, 2014

The South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) announces its second annual Chekicoast Road Safety Art Competition.

Promising student and learner artists are encouraged to submit art entries of their road safety creations made on A3 cardboard, paper or foam board, illustrating how we can best share roads, respecting all road users, whether on foot, in cars, on bicycles, or driving large trucks.

This year's 'Roads are yours, roads are mine, roads are ours' theme seeks to amplify the message that South Africa's roads are owned by all South Africans and must be shared.

"Each of us has equal rights to use our roads and we count on each other to make the journey safer and smoother," says Elna Fourie, Road Safety Education and Awareness Manager at SANRAL.

"This must be what drives submitting artists' interpretation and illustration of road safety issues in their created works."

Categories range from foundation phase - Grade R-3 and Grade 4-6, Grade 7-9, Grade 10-12, and university students year 1-3. Winners in each category stand to win a R5 000 gift voucher, while the overall winner of the competition stands to win R25 000 in cash.

The competition closes on 30 September 2014, and all artwork must be sent or delivered by this date.

SANRAL encourages entries from learners and student artists - whether fledgling or experienced artists.

All entries need to be properly identified, providing name, grade, name of school or university and contact information in pen on the back of the artwork. University students need to submit with their artwork proof of registration at a South African tertiary institution.

"This is an inspiring initiative and we call on all entrants to add sufficient elements that link to the theme, while making use of correct traffic signs and signals.

"We were so impressed with the calibre of entrants from the inaugural competition that we look forward to this year's submissions, which will no doubt represent exceptional artists while in turn assist in entrenching responsible behaviour in all road users," says Fourie.

Important dates for participating entrants

Art Competition opened: 25 August 2014 Deadline for receiving entries: 30 September 2014 Announcement of the winners: 13 October 2014

The prize-giving will be held at a gala event scheduled for Cape Town during the month of October 2014, awarding the six categories.

All entries are to be hand-delivered or posted for the attention of HS Fourie at The South African National Roads Agency, Postal Box 415, Pretoria, 0001.

The SANRAL Art Competition

The inaugural competition was launched in 2013.

SANRAL supports the initiatives of the National Department of Transport with its road safety campaign called Chekicoast, which means save a life, which was launched in April 2013.

Chekicoast is a warning, action and attitude campaign for all South Africans. Everybody is accountable for improving safety on our roads, and SANRAL wants to make it easier for you to help. The safety tips SANRAL offers can be shared with your family and friends, which could make you a potential life-saver and all-around good guy.

The campaign was launched in various forms at universities and schools in South Africa as well as on Facebook. Chekicoast aims to ensure correct road user behaviour for drivers, public transport users, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users such as cyclists. Its messages are focused on buckling up, not drinking and driving or walking, discouraging texting and walking, encouraging road users to be bright at night, and to keeping a safe following distance.

The Art Competition is aimed at engaging the youth to express their thoughts on responsible road behaviour. This in turn will assist in entrenching responsible road behaviour in learners at a young age.