I did not send the other letter, but I want to send this one to the Irish Times.
Madam, I welcome Irelands entry into the metric world which will even be more pronounced when the speed limits go metric. However, imposing blanket 30 km/h limits in all built up areas really goes too far and it will cause serious opposition to metrication. Many countries in mainland Europe have 50 km/h limits in built up areas, while having 30 km/h zones in purely residential streets and within housing estates. Feeder roads and through roads are 50 km/h ones. Such a system would be better for Ireland too. Motorists can continue to drive at 50 km/h, which in fact is equal to the 30 mph of today, until they reach their living area where the lower limit is in force. In this case many 30 mph signs can still be used with the new meaning of 30 km/h on purely residential streets and housing estates. Metrication can be used to implement sensible speed limits. I have been in Ireland for many summers; at present there are 40 mph limits on splendid roads and 60 mph limits on bad roads. And I am glad that it will end ridiculous translations like "48 km/h, 64 km/h or 96 km/h" of 30, 40 and 60 mph. No visitor's car with a metric speedometer can hold such funny speeds and no country that uses the metric system has such stupid limits. They are always in tens of kilometres per hour, while in Ireland speed limits are in tens of miles per hour at present. The sensible way for Ireland is using tens of kilometres per hour as well. If done properly, road metrication will not be confusing in any way, and it will end the present confusion on Irish roads where two totally incompatible systems of measuring units have been in force for years. Last, but not least, the symbol kph is internationally deprecated; km/h is correct. Yours faithfully, Han Maenen................. Han Historian of Dutch Metrication, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
