.....but at least they wrote km/h this time........Except for one slip (my
emphasis):
Spanish racing driver Fernando Alonso - who drives a Ferrari in excess of
300kph on the race track - also ridiculed the lowered limit, quipping that it
was "difficult to stay awake" at less than 110km/h.
John F-L
----- Original Message -----
From: Zach Rodriguez
To: U.S. Metric Association
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2011 6:13 PM
Subject: [USMA:50790] Re: Automobiles w/ metric options
I've read some articles saying the Spanish government is reinstating the 120
km/h speed limits on July 1. The speed limits were changed back because the
population was outraged and "the circumstances have changed".
Spain to axe speed limit imposed after oil price rise
A sidenote: The BBC still doesn't put a space between unit symbols and
quantities, but at least they wrote km/h this time.
On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 03:26, John Frewen-Lord <j...@frewston.plus.com>
wrote:
In the fairly recent past, yes. But unlikely today. Late last year, we
toured extensively in France and Spain, and met up with a French couple for
dinner in the delightful town of Anjouleme in SW France. We chatted about cars
and driving (their passable English and our passable French meant we could
communicate quite well), and they told us that the police were cracking down on
even minor transgressions over the 130 limit (I too had assumed that 140 would
be OK - but I did notice that I was usually the fastest car around at this
speed!).
And no leeway at all when it's raining, when the limit reduces to 110 on
the autoroute. 115 WILL get you an on-the-spot fine of EUR120. We did notice
that the French were extraordinarily compliant with their laws and rules - and
it has to be said that their accident rate has tumbled. Never once, for
example, did we see a French car cross a solid dividing line, even on a
deserted straight road on a Sunday morning, when we had a BMW come up behind
us, and it was obviously safe to overtake (we were driving slowly saving fuel -
it was the time of the French fuel strikes, and my computer was saying that I
had only fuel left for 20 km, and the nearest fuel station was 25 km away....).
The BMW stayed patiently behind us until the line turned dotted.
Spain has turned in the last few months even more draconian. The motorway
speed limit has been reduced from 120 to 110 in an effort to save fuel, and
even as little as 2 km/h over that will garner you either an unplanned roadside
stop (and an involuntary contribution to the Spanish coffers), or a nasty
letter in the mail, with the same result.
John F-L
----- Original Message -----
From: Martin Vlietstra
To: j...@frewston.plus.com ; 'U.S. Metric Association'
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2011 8:23 AM
Subject: RE: [USMA:50785] Re: Automobiles w/ metric options
On the other hand, if your car is powerful enough, it would be legal in
Italy (max speed is now 150 km/h for certain classes of vehicle), it would be
legal on certain sections of the autobahn (no speed limit) while the French
police would probably turn a blind eye (max speed on the autoroute – 130 km/h).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: owner-u...@colostate.edu [mailto:owner-u...@colostate.edu] On
Behalf Of John Frewen-Lord
Sent: 30 June 2011 08:01
To: U.S. Metric Association
Subject: [USMA:50785] Re: Automobiles w/ metric options
However, 140 km/h would definitely attract the attentions of the OPP in
Ontario.....
John F-L
----- Original Message -----
From: Michael Payne
To: U.S. Metric Association
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2011 2:14 AM
Subject: [USMA:50783] Re: Automobiles w/ metric options
I've noticed this on many GM models which have at first glance US only
units, with the push of a button everything change to the correct SI, including
the current odometer/trip readings. The only downside I've seen is that if the
speedometer maximum speed is 140 mph, this becomes 140 km/h (the mph symbol
changes to an illuminated km/h symbol in the middle of the speedometer). You
can max out the speedometer before well before the vehicle reaches it's top
speed.
Michael Payne
On 27/06/2011, at 12:24 , m. f. moon wrote:
My wife's 2010 Chevy Impala changes all readouts when switched from
"English" to "Metric". This includes speed which changes the label from MPH to
km/h (no dual numerals!), tire pressure in kPa, economy to L/100 km,
temperature to °C, range to km, and so on. It appears to be totally converted
with no mixed units. I am some what surprised.
marion moon
------ Original Message ------
Received: 01:12 AM PDT, 06/27/2011
From: Harry Wyeth <hbwy...@earthlink.net>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <usma@colostate.edu>
Subject: [USMA:50757] Automobiles w/ metric options
I wonder if anyone knows of any vehicles sold in the US which have the
capability of switching to full metric at the push of a button. I mean all of
the following: speed, distance covered, outside temperature, and (if available
on the vehicle) distance to empty tank, average speed, coolant temperature, oil
pressure, instantaneous and overall fuel economy, and anything else (I can't
think of any others).
I owned a first edition Honda Insight that offered all of these by
simply turning a switch. A 2004 Chevy truck offers most of these (but not
speed), but you have to scroll through a computer menu to do it. My Prius
offers only the speed option, sadly. I wonder about the new version of the
Insight.
HARRY WYETH
