The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has expressed his commitment to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) this year to make London’s air cleaner and improve public health. Transport for London (TfL) is planning to expand ULEZ across all London boroughs from 29 August 2023. As ULEZ expansion has been in the news recently, we take a look at the measurements that ULEZ is based on. Whatever happens to ULEZ, measurements play a central part in making it work. Unlike UK road signs, the measurements used in ULEZ are all metric.
Continue reading “ULEZ is all metric unlike UK road signs”Category: Road signs
Miles beyond transport
Here we will look at some visible displays of miles that are totally unrelated to road transport, the one major area of British life where miles are used across the UK. The images shown in this article demonstrate the enormous influence of British mile-based road signs for speed and distance on British society.
Continue reading “Miles beyond transport”No DfT research on familiarity of road sign units
A Freedom of Information response from the Department for Transport reveals that it has done no research on the general public’s familiarity of road sign units. The DfT once used the lack of metric education as an argument against the metrication of road signs but has never seen the lack of familiarity with imperial units as a problem with its current use of imperial road signs.
Continue reading “No DfT research on familiarity of road sign units”How to improve Highway Code 2022
The Highway Code was updated on 29 January 2022. It introduced a hierarchy of road users based on vulnerability and aimed to give priority to the most vulnerable road users. Ronnie Cohen comments.
Continue reading “How to improve Highway Code 2022”The 1972 White Paper on Metrication – 50 years on
2022 sees the 50th anniversary of the 1972 White Paper on Metrication – a policy document that set out the Government’s plans for the nation’s metrication programme in the 1970s.
The publication of the White Paper was approved at a Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday 11 January 1972.
Continue reading “The 1972 White Paper on Metrication – 50 years on”
Inconsistent motorway emergency features
Smart motorways illustrate the some of the consequences of the UK’s two-system measurement muddle. Ronnie Cohen explains.
Continue reading “Inconsistent motorway emergency features”Highway Code conversion confusion
Ronnie Cohen looks at consequences of the UK’s measurement muddle for The Highway Code.
Continue reading “Highway Code conversion confusion”Two surprises from 1970
Metric Views remembers two announcements made over 50 years ago that came as a surprise to many.
Continue reading “Two surprises from 1970”The UK’s metric conversion – a comedy of errors?
Ronnie Cohen looks at the story of the UK’s metric changeover during the half century following the establishment of the Metrication Board in the late 1960s. If any other country needs a lesson in how not to do the job, this is it.
Continue reading “The UK’s metric conversion – a comedy of errors?”New role for Britain’s road signs
An analysis by the Government of UK economic prospects post-Covid has identified the importance for our economic recovery of services generally and tourism in particular. Meanwhile a separate study by tourism bodies has looked into attracting foreign tourists.
Continue reading “New role for Britain’s road signs”
Metric Views 