The design by Sophie Kirkland, a P6 pupil from Stonehouse Primary School, included the slogan: ‘Make the right choice… Choose a safe place to cross!’

All schools across South Lanarkshire are invited to participate in the annual competition with guidelines being issues to all schools, featuring topics for each of the 5 age group categories.

A total of 86 schools and 2,488 entries were received for this year’s competition.

Chair of the council’s Road Safety Forum, Councillor Davie McLachlan, said: “Huge congratulations to Sophie, and everyone who took the time to take part in the competition – the entries were all fantastic and it is always a pleasure to see the creativity and imagination of our young people.

“The Road Safety Calendar Competition is an important annual competition, which demonstrates schools’ support for Road Safety.

“With the calendars being distributed and displayed within our schools, it’s an everyday visual reminder to keep safe and make the correct choices on our journeys.”

The 2026 topics were:

Group 1 - Primary 1/2 ‘Walking and wheeling’, group 2 - Primary 3/4 ‘Seatbelt safety’, group 3 - Primary 5/6 ‘Safe places to cross’, group 4 - Primary 7 ‘Safe and active journeys’ and group 5 - S1 to S6 ‘Speed awareness’.

A judging panel consisting of Road Safety Forum members, selected Council Officers, road safety partners and Traffic and Transportation staff worked to conclude the overall winner and 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each group. 

Sophie’s winning artwork was the design of the 2026 Road Safety Calendar and prize includes £100, an individual trophy, an A0- size design of the calendar and a certificate. In addition, a school trophy will be presented to Stonehouse Primary School for the year ahead.

As well as the overall winning design, year group winners will receive prize money for first, second and third place as well as Highly Commended certificates being awarded to pupils’ entries whose artwork or road safety message was creative and eyecatching.

The calendar is distributed to all schools in South Lanarkshire and selected office locations.