Some of the rural Canadian freeways also have a 110 km/h speed limit, but 100 is more common. On the 401 east from Windsor, Ontario toward Toronto there are signs (in both English and French, separate signs, one after the other) listing speed ranges above 100, and the fine for each!
Carleton -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Paul Trusten Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 11:32 To: U.S. Metric Association Cc: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:38512] RE: Buying a SI display car Michael makes an interesting point. Seems as if it is not a safety problem for the bureaucrats if the odo/speedo system is switchable. But the speedo display then becomes completely km/h, be it analog or digital. Now, I sense that those of us on this list may be able to translate back and forth mentally as we drive in the U.S., but that may not be true for those who don't speak metric, switch to the metric speedo for some reason, and continue to drive. Of course, when their readout on an Interstate says 75, they'd be going awfully slow for prevailing conditions (grin). I have driven a rental car with this feature. It's really neat. The analog dial will indeed do km/h. You go out onto the highway and go 120 (here in Texas, anyway!) and you're at highway speed. The highest posted speed limit I saw in "populated" Australia (NSW, VIC) was 110. Perhaps it is higher in other Australian states, such as SA or the Northern Territory, where you may have to drive 100 km to go food shopping. lps wrote: > The device is a either a spectrophotometer or a densitometer. Most > likely a transmission densitometer. > > Michael Payne wrote: > >> There is a federal law that makes it perfectly legal, no one can >> object. I don't know why we allow bureaucrat to write rules that >> conflict with a Federal law. From what I've seen in GM vehicles, >> press the button and the speedo is in km/h only, the odometer is in >> km only. This seems to be OK with the DOT. There is a button that >> allows you to see the same information in miles and mph. Same in the >> Mercedes, there is an analog speedometer and a selectable digital >> speedometer viewable in mph or km/h in the middle of the analog speedo. >> >> >> >> Reminds me (off topic) of moving to Maryland with a vehicle I'd owned >> in Texas and Illinois, had tinted windows which had to be inspected >> to license in Maryland. The police said the windows did not meet the >> Maryland law see thru standard, I had to take the tint off. I took it >> to a tint place and they tested it with a certain light meter, forget >> the proper name. It passed, so went back to the police who said the >> same thing they did before, I'd have to get the tinting removed. I >> asked to see the calibration certificate. The police officer did not >> even reply, he turned around and signed the release. I kept the >> tinted windows. Lets make up some rules as we go along! >> >> >> Mike Payne >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Howard Ressel" >> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> >> Sent: Tuesday, 24 April 2007 12:00 >> Subject: [USMA:38501] RE: Buying a SI display car >> >> >>> Would it even be legal to have a car in the US with metric only >>> instrumentation? Despite the fact that the metric system is legal, >>> it night not be legal to have metric only in a car. It might vary by >>> State too. A friend of mine purchased a car at auction with metric >>> only dash and the State made him replace the instruments before he >>> could register the car. >>> >>> Howard Ressel >>> Project Design Engineer, Region 4 >>> (585) 272-3372 >>> >>>>>> "Carleton MacDonald" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 4/23/2007 8:54 PM >>> >>>>> >>> I had a 1988 Saab 900 which had a failed speedo, so I went online >>> and found >>> one at a parts place. Turns out the parts place was in Ontario so the >>> speedo came in km only. No problem here! That same car died >>> (ironically at >>> km 26 on autoroute 15 in Quebec, on the way home from visiting >>> friends in >>> the Laurentians) so I had to give it up there. I thought of buying >>> a used >>> car in Montreal so I could get home, and was told that the USA Saabs >>> and the >>> Canadian Saabs are pretty much identical - except for the speedometer. >>> Canadian Saabs have km - only. No inner dial with mph. (If it had, >>> I could >>> have gotten it across the border; there seems to be no problem with the >>> odometer, only the speedometer.) I finally took the train home and >>> bought a >>> used car down here in Maryland for two reasons - didn't want >>> speedometer >>> catfights at the border ("Did you buy anything in Canada? Oh, the >>> car, huh? >>> Can I see the speedometer?") and didn't want to pay the >>> nonrefundable TVQ >>> (Quebec sales tax; the GST would be refunded). >>> >>> Carleton >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On >>> Behalf >>> Of Michael Payne >>> Sent: Monday, April 23, 2007 13:43 >>> To: U.S. Metric Association >>> Subject: [USMA:38489] Buying a SI display car >>> >>> As some of you know, I've been looking at whether it's possible to >>> buy a new >>> >>> car with km/h speedometer here in the US. I find this an interesting >>> exercise in frustration, not being able to make a choice to use the >>> measurement system I want, which is not only legal in the US but >>> preferred. >>> So much for being free to choose! >>> >>> I've made many frustrating visits to all the various dealers for most >>> manufacturers, and none are willing to sell a car with a km/h >>> speedometer >>> despite the metric system being the preferred system for trade and >>> commerce. >>> >>> GM to it's credit has a very well designed system where at the touch >>> of a >>> button, the displays change from US to metric, everything, speed >>> temperature, tire pressure, all change to SI. Trouble is I'm not >>> otherwise >>> enamored with GM vehicles. I personally like the design and fuel >>> economy of >>> the Mercedes diesel known as the E320 Blutec for it's use of Urea to >>> reduce >>> emissions. >>> http://www.dieselforum.org/fileadmin/templates/FactSheetMasterFolder/FS_SCR_ >>> >>> 08.24.06.pdf >>> explains the process. >>> >>> Being adamant that I want a km/h speedometer and km odometer I'm >>> left with 3 >>> >>> choices. 1. Get the speedometer changed. 2. Buy a Canadian vehicle >>> which has >>> >>> to be a used vehicle. 3. Don't buy a new car at all. I wrote a >>> letter to >>> Mercedes hoping that I can take advantage of their European delivery >>> program >>> >>> to pick up a car in Europe, they never replied but from a dealer I >>> got the >>> reply that they were not willing to do this. I felt it would be no >>> problem >>> to install the SI gauges at the factory and deliver the car to me. >>> Because >>> the vehicle can display the speed in mph digitally via a menu >>> selection (as >>> well as the analog km/h display) I feel it must meet US DOT >>> requirements for >>> >>> the display of either system which is what GM does on it's vehicles, >>> which >>> obviously comply with the law because they sell them in the US this >>> way. >>> Perhaps if they got more people asking for this they might make it an >>> option. More of us need to have the dealer ask the Head office if >>> this is an >>> >>> option. >>> >>> One advantage of the European delivery program is that I can get a 7% >>> discount on the price, plus there is no delivery charge ($750 >>> otherwise). >>> Not sure why this is. In Canada by comparison there is no discount >>> and the >>> vehicle is much more expensive. Plus from what I've found out it's not >>> possible to buy a new vehicle in Canada and import it to the US, has >>> to be a >>> >>> used vehicle. >>> >>> I'd be interested on feedback from Listserve members on their >>> thoughts and >>> suggestions on what I could do. I've even considered a lawsuit but >>> believe >>> these folks can sell what they want. But does it infringe on my >>> rights under >>> >>> the 1865 Metric system authorized law. (no contract or dealing, ... >>> shall be >>> >>> deemed invalid or liable to objection because the weights or measures >>> expressed or referred to therein are weights or measures of the metric >>> system). >>> >>> Any Lawyers on this listserve? >>> >>> >>> Michael Payne >>> 1 Thorton Court >>> Potomac Falls VA 20165 >>> USA >>> >> >> > > > > -- Paul Trusten, R.Ph. Public Relations Director U.S. Metric Association, Inc. www.metric.org 3609 Caldera Blvd., Apt. 122 Midland TX 79707-2872 USA +1(432)528-7724 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
