Back to Gallery Be RoadSmart
The RoadSmart gallery focuses directly on the importance of road safety. ICBC's philosophy to prevent auto crime, crashes and fraud highly influences the concepts of these pieces and particularly their importance to youth. The highest number of youth fatalities result from car crashes. This fact, along with perceptions of youth as irresponsible drivers, gives students good reason to promote roadsmart awareness. Issues such as drinking and driving, speeding and the consequential effect on loved ones are all highlighted in this gallery.
A substantial working history exists between ICBC and Surrey secondary school students dating back to June 1996 when Queen Elizabeth Secondary students produced a 25-work art show titled 'Use Your RoadSense.' Through the assistance of Peggy Hunt, Regional Manager, Public Affairs and Road Safety, the artworks traveled throughout the province during the summer months - four of the artworks later published as posters by ICBC for distribution in schools and one used to create the Plan a Safe Ride Home mural located on Mr. Lube, King George Highway (1996-2002). Other initiatives have followed and these include: 1997 Art Show: 'Are You Road Wise,' a partnership between ICBC, QESS and the Youth Ministry headed by Premier Clark; 1999 Surrey Place Mall installed art show, 'RoadSense Makes Sense' a partnership with ICBC RoadSense Team Lower Mainland South Brokers; 2000 Road Safety Calendar project, a partnership between ICBC, Autoplan insurance brokers of B.C. Millennium 2000 and the Surrey Crime Prevention Society; and the 2000 Mr. Lube mural on 151 Fraser Highway promoting ICBC's 'Way to Go' program. More recently, Sullivan Heights Secondary has continued to work on road safety themes and has established the body of work for the RoadSmart gallery. These new works explore road safety themes such as: aggressive driving, buckling up (seatbelts and child restraints), drinking & driving, Graduated Licencing Program, obeying traffic signs & signals and responsible driving.
Two of the more difficult aspects of developing quality poster art for road safety awareness are brainstorming for creative ideas and effective use of composition. Many sponsored contests too often yield cliché efforts. Students can improve their work by committing to an in-depth process: researching Internet articles, pre-writing concept statements and slogans, doing extensive draft-development and carrying out final copy work using traditional art methods or Adobe Photoshop. An invaluable instruction resource for aiding student imagination is Nicholas Roukes, Design Synectics: Stimulating Creativity in Design (1988).
Sara Caissie
