Metric Or Imperial

[Brancaster]

The local authority area in which I live has recently erected information signs indicating the distance to a traffic restriction in meters as opposed to yards. I seem to recall some time ago that signs in metric distance were as yet not approved - have regulations changed ?

[Zacs-Master]

It would appear that they are not yet legal. I can find no on line info regarding it being trailed anywhere. The link I have provided is an anti metrication 'enthusiasts' website which provides a form should you feel strongly enough to complain.
http://www.activeresistance.org.uk/Proforma-Illeagal-Signs.htm

[douglas9401]

Any chance that the meters are just there to clock up the yards?

[DJHawkes]

it would mean nothing to me if the sign used meters, i'd be done for getting my mobile out and using the conversion app

[New Judge]

"The Design and use of Directional Informatory Signs" issed in 1994 by The Department of Transport (as it then was) is still current. Para 8.1.1 :

8. MISCELLANEOUS

8.1 Use of Distances

8.1.1 Distances must be in miles or yards. For the time being distances are to be in imperial measurements only. Distances over 3 miles must be rounded to the nearest mile (this also applies to distances less than 3 miles on motorway route confirmatory signs). Distances shorter than 3 miles must be rounded to the nearest 1/4 mile. For destinations other than towns and villages yards may be used for distances up to 800 yards, rounded to the nearest 10 yards. Yards are not used on route confirmatory signs.

Whilst this may not mention the sort of local sign you mention I believe all distance signage in the UK must use miles or yards only.

[ST24]

A metre is not a lot more than a yard so as far as the actual distance is concerned does it really matter? For example 100 metres is close to 109 yards - for shorter distances the difference will be less significant.

[FredPuli43]

Curiously, it appears that metric signs for pedestrians aren't banned by any regulation. It is common for signs reading "Cathedral , 90 metres" and so on, to be seen in towns frequented by foreign tourists. Traffic signs for distances are another matter. Signs indicating clearances under bridges however, seem to be in metric and imperial.

[FredPuli43]

Blame cost and the people,methyl. Youngsters still give their own weight in stone (daughter's explanation "It sounds much less in stone !" :) ) and they judge and give people's heights in feet and inches, notwithstanding that doctors and schools use metric. When did you last here anyone say that a model was anything other than, say, "five ten" or a defender "six four" ? Even babies have their birth weight translated into pounds, for general use.

Canada is metric for all purposes. It's all right for them. Canadians measure road journeys in hours and minutes, so whether the distance is 80 km or 50 miles doesn't concern them, whatever the road signs say. And there aren't many of them and in a vast space, much of it without roads, so probably the costs involved in converting signs wasn't great compared to the cost of converting ours.

[New Judge]

"When will we finish the metrication program? "

Hopefully never as there is absolutely no need (or indeed any wish among most people) to do so. When I go to a country where metric units are used I expect to have to do quick calculations to find out what I'm buying, how fast I'm going, etc. Visitors to the UK can do likewise when they come here.

[FredPuli43]

NJ, you are a traditionalist.As such you had to be able to do calculations like 4lbs 3 ozs at 5/11 a lb or a gross of units at 2/8 or how many acres a field 800 yards by 206 yards is [Explanation for younger viewers: 5/11 is five shillings and eleven pence].

That's why we gave up imperial: it had no reason behind the units, except the natural relationship of a man's arm- width, foot, or a barleycorn (the basis for our shoe sizes is the barleycorn; just though I'd mention it).Doing calculations when the units are based on what a pair of oxen could plough in a day multiplied by those based on units of twelve and twenty, and so on, is ludicrous. Anyway,our children use calculators. Calculators don't do twelfths easily.

[Hopkirk]

My kids find it hard to understand Imperial - they have always done things in metric at school.

[FredPuli43]

Oh,and NJ a kilometre is 5 furlongs. I find that helps. Well, I would being near Newmarket, but anyway. And a pound is 500gms, near enough. The problem with the kilo is that it's too big. We don't often buy a kilo of one food, so everything is in hundreds of grams. And the gram is too small, for the same reason.

[Canary42]

So when are the metric morons going to a ten-month year, a ten-day week, a ten-hour day etc etc etc.

[gingejbee]

It's laziness and apathy in most people.
Is this the only country in the World in which temperatures need to be given on two different scales so that people "understand" them? Pathetic!

[Hopkirk]

It surprises me that the Americans haven't gone for metric.

[Canary42]

... and of course the Bible New Testament needs to be re-written with 10 disciples - whereupon 11 would become an unlucky number.

The Old Testament got it right with 10 Commandments.

[FredPuli43]

Americans are wedded to tradition; that's why they have the gun laws they have :). Their cooks at home don't even use imperial. They use 'cups' and 'sticks of butter'. Changing to metric would be importing some damn pink, socialist,European idea, so that's never gonna happen. It happens where it matters, in science.

[New Judge]

But is there any NEED to do so, methyll?

The vast majority of drivers on UK roads are British as the vast majority of drivers in France are French. Why should the vast majority of drivers be subjected to a change which actually provides no advantage. If you want to know how many kilometres it is from London to Birmingham just multiply 100 by 8/5. Why should everybody else have to multiply 160 by 5/8?

"Old" money was very handy, Fred. The old pound of 240 pence could be readily divided by 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2. You cannot do that to a hundred, especially when you do not have a half penny available. Old sub-divisions of a mile and those of area relating to an acre were also very flexible. A "hectare" is a ridiculous nebulous measure useed only because it is a nice round number of square metres. By contrast an acre is ten cricket squares (or a furlong by a chain or very roughly half a soccer pitch). :-)