Road Signs

Posted on Wednesday, October 6th, 2010 at 8:09 pm

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Only United States Highway With Metric Scale Dimensions On Interstate 19

Many U.S. citizens tread cautiously around the metric scale system. The lack of fractions and use of decimals confuses many. It can come off as a foreign language. No success has been realized in converting the heathen Americans to the metric method. You are able to see the greatest of oddities on Interstate nineteen in Arizona though, as the sole highway in The United States to use the metric scale method exclusively. It isn't incredibly large though. It only stretches from Tuscon, down to the Mexican border. However, the signs are due to be converted back to customary units.

I 19

Interstate 19 is the only interstate highway that features metric units of distance, or kilometers. From Tuscon to Nogales, an individual had better get out a calculator, because it's all in metric. All road signs are in kilometers. The exit numbers are different too. Exit sign numbers are actually based on distance. The distance, though, is almost always in miles. However, according to the New York Times, a few individuals are getting confused by the marks, and the state government is looking at replacing the signs, which would cost more than $1 million. This could potentially confuse motorists even further and cause some longstanding businesses and tourist locations along the way to suffer. Mexican citizens may be especially confused, as Mexico uses metric units.

Miles or kilometers

There are great deals of cultural traits that America carried over from Britain. Our system of measurement is one of them. The American system and previous British system aren't entirely identical, of course. There were changes made. Most of our measurements though, for instance pints and miles, feet, and inches, are from the English system. We aren't alone, though. According to Wikipedia, there are two other countries that do not use the metric scale system. However, it may not seem the best of company. Those nations are Liberia and Burma. That said, metric conversion has been brought up before, most just lately a study President Gerald Ford set in motion.

Transformation unlikely

The signs on Interstate 19 will probably get modified in some way eventually, and it isn't likely the United States will adopt the metric scale method any time soon. It is nevertheless taught in schools as part of the science curriculum, as scientists worldwide use metric scale units.

More on this topic

NY Times

nytimes.com/2010/09/15/us/15highway.html?_r=1 and ref=automobilesvv

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication_in_the_United_States

California DMV - Rules of the Road #4 - Road Signs