The series of four articles on the outcome of the EU referendum continues with a look at how the current measurement muddle came about.
Category: Road signs
The link between muddled units and verbose traffic signs
Successive UK governments have retained imperial units exclusively for distance and speed on road traffic signs. Ronnie Cohen argues that, as a result, we have been unable to take advantage of universal unit symbols, a feature of the metric system but not of imperial.
Continue reading “The link between muddled units and verbose traffic signs”
British drivers face a continuing sign muddle
With the end in prospect for road traffic signs showing imperial-only vehicle dimensions, Ronnie Cohen takes a look at the current muddle.
Continue reading “British drivers face a continuing sign muddle”
Progress at last on vehicle dimension signs
The 2016 traffic sign regulations banning new imperial-only vehicle dimension signs were laid before Parliament on 23 March 2016 and came into force on 22 April. Ronnie Cohen looks at the chequered history of this commonsense reform.
Continue reading “Progress at last on vehicle dimension signs”
An insight into recent thinking at the DfT
We look at some internal correspondence at the UK Department for Transport (DfT) on the subject of the avoiding the obligation to fix a date for the conversion of road traffic signs to metric measurements.
Continue reading “An insight into recent thinking at the DfT”
The curse of conversion factors
In this article, Ronnie Cohen looks at lists of plausible conversions in both directions between imperial units still in use in the UK and metric units.
The battle for measurement supremacy
In December 2015, television weather forecasters expressed our record rainfall in millimetres while the national newspapers stubbornly stuck to inches. Apparently, the use two different measurement systems for the same phenomenon is alive and well in the UK. Ronnie Cohen looks at other aspects of British national life where two competing systems are used for measuring the same thing.
Review of The Official Highway Code 2015 Edition
Ronnie Cohen reviews the 2015 Edition of the The Official Highway Code to comment on what has changed since the last edition and what has remained the same.
Continue reading “Review of The Official Highway Code 2015 Edition”
The Worboys Committee Report revisited
Ronnie Cohen looks back at the 1963 Worboys Committee report and reviews how well the current version of the TSRGD addresses the main criticisms of the earlier traffic signs system and the Committee’s findings and recommendations. He suggests ways that current signage can be improved to meet the Worboys ideals.
Money-saving tips for cash-starved Councils and the DfT
Ronnie Cohen suggests ways to help those responsible for transport budgets, both local and national, achieve savings targets without extra spending.
Continue reading “Money-saving tips for cash-starved Councils and the DfT”
Metric Views 