This is the AA Motoring Trust's response to the UK Metric Association's press release (23 February 2006) calling for road signs to go metric within five years.
"A move to make UK road signs metric will take far longer than five years, says The AA Motoring Trust. A key flaw lies with speedometers that primarily measure miles per hour. Any precipitous change-over will create confusion, danger and anger, particularly where misunderstanding leads to prosecution for road traffic offences, such as speeding," says Paul Watters, head of roads and transport policy for The AA Motoring Trust.
"Another is the cost of changing all road signs, which will far exceed those predicted in the report. We also know from past experience that there will be some highway authorities who lag well behind. A patchwork of metric and imperial signage across the country would be a recipe for disaster.
"The AA Trust believes that, in some cases, metric and imperial measurements can sit side by side for a number years until the motoring public begins to recognise and understand both types. Dual signing can be piloted on "Euro" routes that lead to and from ports where foreign drivers would gain an immediate benefit."
