[USMA:31958] RE: Irish speed limits

[David King]

I had to revise some of the wording which I mistyped earlier.
David King wrote:
It was suggested earlier:
< <<suggests that most people are quite comfortable with metric units. >>
I don't deny that most people would be - my question would be more of
whether its worth the costs - considering that at the end of the day its
just numbers on a dial being matched with numbers in a big red circle.>

I wonder why costs would be an issue? Ireland needed to revamp its speed 
limits in order to reduce traffic accidents. What price do you put on 
human life? Ireland took the opportunity to metricate it road speed 
limit signs at the same time, and bring in new rational and safe metric 
speed limits, which is something that will help all those concerned. I 
expect it will make roads safer, and that the costs are fully justified. 
What would not be justified would be to have two sets of speed limits, 
one metric and one imperial.

Most of the world now has metric speed limits, even in the USA they have 
some!! But in the UK it is still illegal for the Dept of Transport to 
erect any. I realise that a cost is involved in producing new speed 
limit signs, but if the UK govt took the view of the Irish govt, that 
speed limits in some areas need revising, then they could combine the 2 
and save money and hopefully save lives. In back streets a speed limit 
of 30 mph (48 km/h) is too fast and should be reduced to 30 km/h.

* Although most drivers do not always observe speed limits, some will, 
and in general people drive faster than the limit, so if the limit is 
lower then people will still drive faster than the limit, but not as 
fast as before (when limits were higher), especially if the police 
enforce speed limits on the really fast drivers.  *

There are many things that now require changes in the rules/laws etc, as 
the costs to human life are becoming too great. The sooner smoking is 
banned in enclosed public places and all workplaces (as it was last year 
in Ireland) the better as it will help save lives. Reducing speed limits 
on some roads is also needed, and if combined with metrication of speed 
limits it will also help those people who drive in the UK and in km/h 
countries to just have to deal with one unit for speed, i.e. km/h. I 
know that lots of UK drivers do drive in Europe, especially France, so 
why have 2 different speed limit units, when 1 will do for all countries?

David King