Metric Signs Before the Olympics?
Discussion
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4741894
Call for metric road sign switch
Britain should set an early date for converting its road signs from miles to kilometres, a report by the UK Metric Association says. The imperial signs are a "confusing" exception as most of the UK officially operates in metric measures, it claims.
It says conversion would make it easier to calculate fuel consumption and enable more finely tuned speed limits.
However, the government insists it has no plans to make the switch, which would be a "waste of taxpayers' money".
The UKMA says conversion of road signs was originally intended as part of metrification when it started in 1965 and should have been completed by 1973.
But it was put on hold in 1970 and never restarted.
Irish example
UKMA chairman Robin Paice said: "The Irish have shown how easily, safely, and economically it can be done. The British government should just get on with it."
Ex-Labour leader Lord Kinnock, who is backing the report, says the UK's imperial signs contradict its modern image.
In an introduction to the report, he says: "Our imperial road signs are perhaps the most obvious example of the muddle of measurement units in the United Kingdom.
"They contradict the image - and the reality - of our country as a modern, multicultural, dynamic place where the past is valued and respected and the future is approached with creativity and confidence."
He said the conversion could be completed in time for the 2012 Olympics if the report's recommendations were followed.
But the AA Motoring Trust said a "key flaw" in any planned conversion lay in the fact that car speedometers still mainly measured miles per hour.
Paul Watters, head of roads and transport policy at the trust, said: "A move to make UK road signs metric will take far longer than five years.
"Any precipitous changeover will create confusion, danger and anger, particularly where misunderstanding leads to prosecution for road traffic offences, such as speeding."
The trust said a solution could be to have signs showing both measurements during a transition period of a number of years.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport said it had "absolutely no plans" to change the signs - a move which she said would cost several million pounds.
Call for metric road sign switch
Britain should set an early date for converting its road signs from miles to kilometres, a report by the UK Metric Association says. The imperial signs are a "confusing" exception as most of the UK officially operates in metric measures, it claims.
It says conversion would make it easier to calculate fuel consumption and enable more finely tuned speed limits.
However, the government insists it has no plans to make the switch, which would be a "waste of taxpayers' money".
The UKMA says conversion of road signs was originally intended as part of metrification when it started in 1965 and should have been completed by 1973.
But it was put on hold in 1970 and never restarted.
Irish example
UKMA chairman Robin Paice said: "The Irish have shown how easily, safely, and economically it can be done. The British government should just get on with it."
Ex-Labour leader Lord Kinnock, who is backing the report, says the UK's imperial signs contradict its modern image.
In an introduction to the report, he says: "Our imperial road signs are perhaps the most obvious example of the muddle of measurement units in the United Kingdom.
"They contradict the image - and the reality - of our country as a modern, multicultural, dynamic place where the past is valued and respected and the future is approached with creativity and confidence."
He said the conversion could be completed in time for the 2012 Olympics if the report's recommendations were followed.
But the AA Motoring Trust said a "key flaw" in any planned conversion lay in the fact that car speedometers still mainly measured miles per hour.
Paul Watters, head of roads and transport policy at the trust, said: "A move to make UK road signs metric will take far longer than five years.
"Any precipitous changeover will create confusion, danger and anger, particularly where misunderstanding leads to prosecution for road traffic offences, such as speeding."
The trust said a solution could be to have signs showing both measurements during a transition period of a number of years.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport said it had "absolutely no plans" to change the signs - a move which she said would cost several million pounds.
The Wiz said:
However, the government insists it has no plans to make the switch, which would be a "waste of taxpayers' money".
A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport said it had "absolutely no plans" to change the signs - a move which she said would cost several million pounds.
And when has this ever got in the way of a crap idea?
would be a member of that then?
Time to buy shares in road sign companies?
Did anyone hear Lord Howe and Peter someone debating this on R4 this morning, around 8:30? Hilarious, Peter (Tatchell?) for imperial was really laying into Howe and I had to agree with him. Howe's basic argument was we should cos everyone else does. That argument's as daft there as it is for the average lemming watching his mates line up for the big one.
We can't all get as much from Europe as you and your family you foul peasant!cazzer said:
Metric only roadsigns are currently illegal.
So if you see any, you are perfectly within your rights to A) Ignore them, B) Deface them or C) Pull them down and post them back to the council that put them up.
Mind you, if they start putting speed limit signs in Metric I may be tempted to stick to the limit
........ in MPH 
TeamD said:
Whilst we're at it, why don't we turn all the signs around the other way and start driving on the right?
You may jest, but it'll be on the cards somewhere buried in a government think tank.
it would never be considered seriously as its simply too dangerous and expensive. could you imagine the work involved to reverse every road junction one night, the costs involved, and quite simply enough people have difficulty driving without confusing them by driving on the other side one morning.
slapmatt said:
Whilst we're at it, why don't we turn all the signs around the other way and start driving on the right?
There is a plan to do this starting on 01/04/2007, it will be a pilot scheme and only buses and lorries will be involved to start with, if it is a success then cars will forced to switch to the right side also.
Corpulent Tosser said:
Whilst we're at it, why don't we turn all the signs around the other way and start driving on the right?
There is a plan to do this starting on 01/04/2007, it will be a pilot scheme and only buses and lorries will be involved to start with, if it is a success then cars will forced to switch to the right side also.
More seriously. If we harmonised our road system with Europe (nigh on impossible, mind) we'd be able to buy cheap LHD vehicles.
Don said:
More seriously. If we harmonised our road system with Europe (nigh on impossible, mind) we'd be able to buy cheap LHD vehicles.
Fine by me - just think no more overcharging, or waiting for the RHD version to come out.No more excuses about why our cars cost more
Would ahve a rather catastrophic effect on the residual values of all the RHD vehicles though - I guess we'd be exporting them all back to Japan
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