Why are motorway location signs/markers in metric units?
Discussion
Watcher of the skies said:
Presumably because all the sports apps are metric and it's easier to perform calculations such as calories consumed etc.
You can generally set them to either. A calculation is a calculation, doesn't matter if it's metric or imperial.Common race distances are mostly metric, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 5k, 10k etc up to half marathon distance, so makes more sense to use metric.
Mr Penguin said:
boyse7en said:
You can even buy wine by the pint now, thanks to a recent change to the law. Those Brexit freedoms finally coming to fruition...
The fact that any government makes it illegal to sell wine that isn't in a certain size bottle is utterly ridiculous.CrutyRammers said:
Mr Penguin said:
boyse7en said:
You can even buy wine by the pint now, thanks to a recent change to the law. Those Brexit freedoms finally coming to fruition...
The fact that any government makes it illegal to sell wine that isn't in a certain size bottle is utterly ridiculous.
911hope said:
boyse7en said:
You can even buy wine by the pint now, thanks to a recent change to the law. Those Brexit freedoms finally coming to fruition...
What supplier is going to create new packaging for wine, for only one market (UK), to appeal to a few idiots who think this important?You will only be able to buy hypothetical pints of wine.
If you were a new supplier of wine in the UK the opportunity to create new packaging based on the pint alongside maybe something trendy like packaging which shows you are on the climate change train is one you're going to be eager to exploit.
CrutyRammers said:
Mr Penguin said:
boyse7en said:
You can even buy wine by the pint now, thanks to a recent change to the law. Those Brexit freedoms finally coming to fruition...
The fact that any government makes it illegal to sell wine that isn't in a certain size bottle is utterly ridiculous.
smn159 said:
Yep, standard sizes are to allow consumer to compare prices more easily. What would be utterly ridiculous would be to allow a free for all whereby you'd end up with companies making smaller and smaller bottles to maintain a price point
Do they not tend to have the price per litre anyway on the price label?Doesn't apply to beer it seems. I've seen and bought 275ml, 284ml (1/2 a pint 
), 300, 330 and of course 500 as well as 1 pint. The supermarkets are obliged, of course, to display price per litre on the shelf. Not seen this on wine. 
I got used to working out the accuracy of a car's speedo on the motorway side markers (way before GPS / Tom toms). Hold a steady speed and count 10 of them (1 km). Divide into 3600 gives speed in km / hr. If you hold 62 (100 km/hr), it should take 36 seconds.
), 300, 330 and of course 500 as well as 1 pint. The supermarkets are obliged, of course, to display price per litre on the shelf. Not seen this on wine. I got used to working out the accuracy of a car's speedo on the motorway side markers (way before GPS / Tom toms). Hold a steady speed and count 10 of them (1 km). Divide into 3600 gives speed in km / hr. If you hold 62 (100 km/hr), it should take 36 seconds.
aturnick54 said:
Possibly the cost of updating signs yes. But I'm sure the vast majority these days would be happy to see metric signs. .
Honestly, nobody cares that the signs are in Miles. I can certainly think of many many many better things to do with the money than pointlessly change all the road signs. Watcher of the skies said:
Presumably because all the sports apps are metric and it's easier to perform calculations such as calories consumed etc.
Sports apps use whatever measure you want - using miles when running a 5km race would be trickier to picture.When I run long distances I keep my brain distracted by converting between km and miles for the pace I'm running at. I know I'm tired when I can't do the calculations.
aturnick54 said:
A random thought that was on my mind on this windy Monday.
On motorways and major A roads, these markers and location signs are used to allow emergency services to find the location of a driver (if they've called using a mobile phone for example).
These signs are installed at 0.5km intervals, and distances are shown in kilometres to one decimal place. The marker posts are installed at 0.1km intervals, and again distances are in kilometres.
I'm thinking this may be something to do with road planning, as distances for this is also done in metric measurements. But why do they use metric on these sign posts, and stick to using imperial measurements on road signs? Surely it would make more sense to keep the units in an imperial measurement.
There is the argument that metric measurements are easier to visualise than imperial, which leads to the question of why aren't all signs metric instead?
Why would the emergency services need to use a marker board to locate someone calling on a mobile when that person is already using a device that can accurately report its location to the emergency servces?On motorways and major A roads, these markers and location signs are used to allow emergency services to find the location of a driver (if they've called using a mobile phone for example).
These signs are installed at 0.5km intervals, and distances are shown in kilometres to one decimal place. The marker posts are installed at 0.1km intervals, and again distances are in kilometres.
I'm thinking this may be something to do with road planning, as distances for this is also done in metric measurements. But why do they use metric on these sign posts, and stick to using imperial measurements on road signs? Surely it would make more sense to keep the units in an imperial measurement.
There is the argument that metric measurements are easier to visualise than imperial, which leads to the question of why aren't all signs metric instead?
Dingu said:
Honestly, nobody cares that the signs are in Miles. I can certainly think of many many many better things to do with the money than pointlessly change all the road signs.
Personally I would much prefer to see km as it's easier to visualise. Particularly for the younger generations who are taught nothing but metric measurements at school.aturnick54 said:
Dingu said:
Honestly, nobody cares that the signs are in Miles. I can certainly think of many many many better things to do with the money than pointlessly change all the road signs.
Personally I would much prefer to see km as it's easier to visualise. Particularly for the younger generations who are taught nothing but metric measurements at school.Personally I have to convert lengths and distances into imperial in order to visualise them. If someone says they are 6ft tall I know exactly how tall they are - if they say they are 178cm it means little to me.
Although children are taught in metric my children were also taught about imperial measurements so that they can at least understand them when they come across them.
aturnick54 said:
Dingu said:
Honestly, nobody cares that the signs are in Miles. I can certainly think of many many many better things to do with the money than pointlessly change all the road signs.
Personally I would much prefer to see km as it's easier to visualise. Particularly for the younger generations who are taught nothing but metric measurements at school.aturnick54 said:
smn159 said:
Plenty prefer metric in the running / cycling worlds too
In all fairness it sounds more impressive to cycle 100km than 62.14 miles
Especially when I got a Mars bar at the finish and not a Snickers.
Watcher of the skies said:
Easier for you to visualise you mean.
Personally I have to convert lengths and distances into imperial in order to visualise them. If someone says they are 6ft tall I know exactly how tall they are - if they say they are 178cm it means little to me.
Although children are taught in metric my children were also taught about imperial measurements so that they can at least understand them when they come across them.
These days there is no coverage of imperial units at school. The curriculum teaches only metric.Personally I have to convert lengths and distances into imperial in order to visualise them. If someone says they are 6ft tall I know exactly how tall they are - if they say they are 178cm it means little to me.
Although children are taught in metric my children were also taught about imperial measurements so that they can at least understand them when they come across them.
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