[USMA:31007] Re: Yesterday's article in the Irish Independent re: metric speed limit signs

[Euric]

I fixed the other one:   Irish Independent Thursday 2004-09-02 A GOVERNMENT task force yesterday set December 1 as the target date for the 10 M� metric speed signs switchover - but the plan immediately ran into trouble. Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Co Council has told Transport Minister Seamus Brennan and the National Roads Authority (NRA) it will not increase the controversial 40 mph (65 km/h) speed limit on the Stillorgan dual-carriageway at RTE. This is because the council has serious safety concerns about such a move and wants to keep the existing limit, it was learned yesterday. The minister has the power to override the council and raise the limit, despite the safety concerns. Local authorities will erect 58 000 speed limit signs in kilometres per hour and take down existing signs in miles per hour during a three-day period up to 2004-12-01, the Task Force on Metrication decided. The exercise may some cause confusion for motorists, who face being caught for speeding as a result of the changeover. This is because both sets of signs will feature on some roads until the changeover is completed. Some limits are being rounded up, others down. The limit on back roads is being cut by 16 km/h. The signs are costing 9 M�, while a total of 1.5 M� has been allocated for an information campaign. But Mr Brennan has to approve the deadline set by the metric task force and may decide it is too tight. However, the changeover must be completed before 2005-01-01 and the task force says that 2004-12-01 is the preferred date. Other major changes agreed include a time restriction of 12 months on special speed limits erected during major roadworks. As revealed in the Irish Independent yesterday every motorist will be issued with a 'ready reckoner ' to help them cope with the changeover to metric.The new speed limits are: non-national roads 80 km/h, a drop of 16 km/h; national roads 100 km/h, up 4 km/h; 120 km/h on motorways. Local authorities can bring in new 30 km/h limits at schools and other high risk locations. Treacy Hogan Environment Correspondent           I highlighted in red some further improvements.  See below   I think the problems mentioned would fade away once the change is in place.  It is too early to tell.   Euric         ----- Original Message ----- From: Ezra Steinberg To: U.S. Metric Association Sent: Thursday, 2004-09-02 20:19 Subject: [USMA:30980] Yesterday's article in the Irish Independent re: metric speed limit signs Below is yesterday's article in the Irish Independent about the changeover to metric signage. Is anyone over there in Ireland (Tom? Others?) able to find out whether the ready reckoners will use "km/h" as the symbols for "kilometres per hour"? Ezra P.S. To improve the readability of the original article I changed "kmph" and "kmh" (both were used!) to "km/h" and "pc" to "%".       Motorists to get a 'ready reckoner' as signs go metric Wednesday 2004-09-01 The Government is to issue every motorist with a 'ready reckoner' to help them cope with the changeover to metric speed and distance signs. It will be possible to put the at-a-glance guide on the dashboard or windscreen in the driver's line of sight. The guide is understood to have been favoured over a kilometre-based plastic insert on miles-per-hour speedometers. Judging by a major new survey, the convertor will be badly needed. The RAC Ireland study found that only one-in-seven drivers (15%) came anywhere close to being able to convert 70 km/h (space added) into miles per hour. (See end of story for the correct answer.) According to the RAC authors, there were widely diverging answers to the question. The lowest figure was 30 mi/h while three motorists believed that 70 km/h is equivalent to more than 100 mi/h. As miles per hour is the predominant measurement on the vast majority of cars, the RAC findings underline how comprehensive an information campaign will be needed. Transport Minister Seamus Brennan has committed himself to a multi-million euro blitz for what will be one of the biggest logistical and educational operations in the history of the state. The new system has to be working by 2005-01-01 next but there are growing expectations the minister may decide to start it around a month earlier. In effect drivers will have a completely new speed and sign regime overnight. It is understood the signs - 58 000 in all - have already been produced.  It is planned to have them erected but covered prior to the start, and uncovered close to the time. At least, that is how it is planned at this stage. The new speed limits are: non-national roads 80 km/h (a drop of 16 km/h), national roads 100 km/h  (up 4 km/h), 120 km/h on motorways; trucks will be allowed 90 km/h on dual carriageways and local authorities can bring in 30 km/h limits near schools etc. One of the reasons the ready-reckoner is favoured is that there are only a few speed limits. But the RAC survey shows that while most motorists (88 %) know about the impending change, they are at a serious disadvantage in trying to make the conversion. The survey, of 400 motorists in the Dublin area, also found that drivers support the penalty points system - even if they are in danger of falling foul of it when road signs go metric. They regard the imposition of penalty points as fair although they complain that there is no distinction between punishment for being 5 mi/hh or 20 mi/h (10 km/h or 30 km/h)  over the prevailing limit. They gave the example of someone doing 35 mi/h in a 30 mi/h (70 km/h in a 60 km/h ) zone getting the same punishment as a driver doing 70 mi/h in a 40 mi/h  (110 km/h in a 65 km/h) zone. A number also pointed out that the enforcement of speed limits is patchy and confined to busy urban roads, yet the majority of serious accidents occur on smaller rural roads. Another worrying finding was that a significant number of car owners never check vital areas of maintenance such as tyres and lights. Around one-third (31 %-37 %) carry out regular monthly checks on their lights, tyres, oil and water. Fewer carry out such checks every week (16 % to 29 % depending on item). But 15 % never check their tyres while 21 % ignore the lights. RAC Ireland's Robert Taylor said: "It is heartening to see level of confidence in the penalty points system. But a point of concern for me is the attitude of motorists towards maintenance and upkeep of their cars. "It is extremely worrying that 15 % never check their tyres and 21 % never check their lights."   * The correct answer is 43.5 mi/h. Eddie Cunningham Motoring Correspondent � Irish Independent