> > From: "Phil Chernack" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: 2003/09/03 Wed PM 05:59:18 EDT > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [USMA:26824] RE: Metric road signs > > Hi, > > I am new to this list but have been following it for the past couple of > weeks. I noted John's post with interest as I feel the same way. To do an > orderly conversion of road signs to metric, the U.S. Federal government > needs to mandate automobile manufacturers start selling cars with > predominately metric instrumentation. For the past 25 years, speedometers > have displayed both English (wombat) and metric with English predominate. > With a change in automobile speedometers and odometers, changing road > signage will be a no-brainer. Also, if auto manufacturers were required to > give fuel economy in liters per 100 km, we would also have the incentive to > change gas stations over to liters. I would rather pay $.43/liter than > $1.64/gallon. This change may also be the incentive that Great Britain > needs to make the change as well. What is more telling perhaps, is that the > Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (the master guide for all road > agencies in the U.S.) has standards for metric road signs. The MUCTD can be > viewed in the following location: http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/. The best part > of this though, is that Revision 2 > (http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno-millennium_npa.htm) changes the metric speed > limit sign to be different than the traditional speed limit sign. The new > metric speed limit sign is much closer to the international standard of the > speed in a red circle with the legend "km/h" below on one panel.
I tend to like the idea of implementing this design also since, like you say it is closer to the international speed limit sign. My biggest concern will be the temptation for those who oppose the change to metric to spray paint a diagonal line through the circle. Stephen Gallagher 1
