Kilometres Are Taking Over!!

[DelBoy]

Is this the thin edge of the wedge??

Driving down the M5 today, which I havn't done for a couple of weeks, and saw there are new signs every half a kilometre, with a count up (or down - depending on which way you are travelling) in kilometres from (presumably) the start of the motorway in the midlands.  Thus Taunton is just over 200km from the start of the M5.

I thought that they were going to leave our 'miles' alone.

Del

[Maximum]

its surely done for the europeans.

A.K.A mainlanders

[Leftie]

Is this the thin edge of the wedge??

Driving down the M5 today, which I havn't done for a couple of weeks, and saw there are new signs every half a kilometre, with a count up (or down - depending on which way you are travelling) in kilometres from (presumably) the start of the motorway in the midlands.  Thus Taunton is just over 200km from the start of the M5.

I thought that they were going to leave our 'miles' alone.

Del

Hi Del,

Firstly, can I ask what colour these signs are and do they specifically mention 'Km' etc.

My reply is based on what I believe is the latest edition of the 'regulations'. We don't change signs that often.

2002 No. 3113
ROAD TRAFFIC
The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002. comming into force 31st January 2003.

I cannot find any reference to the use of kilometres, just Miles and Yards.

However, Kent Highways erected signs about 2 years ago depicting kilometres which technically speaking were illegal and therefore unenforceable on major roads to ports.

As these were a departure from the regulations, they would have to apply for approval for a 'Non Prescribed Sign'. But, if using Km instead of M, they would be unenforceable.

If I was you, I would write to the Highways Agency and ask for a copy of the NPS and their reasons for doing it under the FoIA and see what happens.

[Steve Pyro]

Essex County Council put up some height restriction 'low bridge' signs near to me a couple of years ago, with the height in both feet and metres.
They were found to be in breach of the regs Leftie mentions and had to permanently black out the 'x metres' bit.

Useful reading - http://www.bwmaonline.com/Transport%20-%20DfT%20memo.htm

[DelBoy]

The signs are about 3' x 2' on poles 5-6'high, white letters on blue background (IIRC).  And no, they don't actually state Km or anything else for that matter.  I drive an imported LHD car, so speedo and odometer are calibrated in Km (/hr), and was able to check the distance between them.

As they don't specifically state Km,  the authorities could quite easily say they are groats (or whetever).  And as they are simply distance, perhaps location markers, there is nothing to enforce.  The southbound ones have an 'A' and the northbound a 'B', so I guess they are location markers for the emergency services.  "There is an RTA at A196.5"  for example.

Del

[Steve Pyro]

Also, the official 'The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002' http://www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/si2002/20023113.htm

(if you can't sleep!)

[Petra]

Essex County Council put up some height restriction 'low bridge' signs near to me a couple of years ago, with the height in both feet and metres.
They were found to be in breach of the regs Leftie mentions and had to permanently black out the 'x metres' bit.

Now that is stupid. I thought Holland was the only European country in wich rules and regulations were held up that rigourously 

If it had only mentioned metres and not feet I would have agreed, but just adding the height in metres only makes things easier for people from other countries.

I was in an amusement park somewhere near London quite a few years ago and there was a sign next to one of the rides saying passengers must weigh less than a certain number of stones. So I asked this guy if that were little pebbles or big rocks, then he thought I was crazy...

[Steve Pyro]

I was in an amusement park somewhere near London quite a few years ago and there was a sign next to one of the rides saying passengers must weigh less than a certain number of stones. So I asked this guy if that were little pebbles or big rocks, then he thought I was crazy...

They were referring to this well known brand of beer 

[jpchenet]

..... then he thought I was crazy...

Well? You are aren't you?? 

[Lorry]

Its so that foreign lorry drivers crash into low bridges, and we can claim a new one on their insurance.

Bring back the rod, pole or perch  16.5 feet. 

The rod was phased out as a unit of measurement that could legally be used in the United Kingdom as part of a ten year metrication process that began on 24 May 1965. In old English, the term lug is also used.

Ok we should have gone metric 30 years ago

[Andy]

Can I have my weight in Stones......... better still Leffe!

[Leftie]

So I asked this guy if that were little pebbles or big rocks, then he thought I was crazy...

Petra, Essex was mentioned. Without being a MCP or a wisecracker etc, etc, are you a blonde from that part of the country?  

Point taken Del

[DelBoy]

So I asked this guy if that were little pebbles or big rocks, then he thought I was crazy...

Petra, Essex was mentioned. Without being a MSP or a wisecracker etc, etc, are you a blonde from that part of the country?  

C perhaps

Del

[Chris (Liverpool Boys)]

I always find petrol station forecourts amusing especially driving my works motor A Volvo 42 tonne globetrotter. How they very nicely put all the measurements of canopy hight in metres when the in cab telling how big it is in feet and inches

[Lawnmower Man]

The thing that I find a tad stupid.  My car will tell me how much fuel I've used since I filled up.  It tells me in Gallons.  However, You can only buy fuel by the Litre.
So I have no idea how much fuel is left.  So it's a waste of time.   I supose I could do a calculation but surely the whole idea is so you don't need to calculate these things.



t.