The following information was released by the British Weights and Measures Association which invites you to join the resistance against the metrication by stealth of traffic signs. This article appeared in the November 2000 issue of Sovereignty.

Give 'em an inch and they'll take a mile ... or should that be, give 'em 25.4 millimetres and they'll take 1.6093 kilometres. Even Big Foot isn't safe from the Metric Speech Police!

WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY ON METRIC ROAD SIGNS?
The Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions (DETR) says that the government has "no plans to replace imperial signs with metric signs until the majority of drivers have been educated in the metric system". It adds, "Given that a UK driving license is valid until the holder reaches 70 ... it will be some time before the present government considers the need to change our signs" (Letter dated 6/9/00).

THE EVIDENCE FOR K-DAY
Although this will not be, at least, until 2005, there is clear evidence that the government is already, surreptitiously, gearing up for K-Day:

i. For a number of years, a large number of county councils have been using metres in place of yards on road and pedestrian signs, for example, "Speed Humps 20m", or "Tourist Information 150m".

ii. New signs along main roads have been appearing at odd distances of 110yds, 220yds, 1/3 mile, 2/3 mile, etc. The purpose of these locations is revealed when they are translated into their metric equivalents: l00m, 200m, 500m and 1km. Obviously, placing posts into the ground at these points facilitates future metric conversion since only the signs attached to the posts need be changed.

iii. White distance-marker posts along motorways (usually marked with an arrow to indicate the nearest telephone) are placed not at intervals of 100 yards but 100 metres. The DETR says this is to "assist maintenance crews to locate their exact position".

iv. Government computer systems designed to record road traffic information are from now on to use three digit fields for vehicle speeds. According to an internal government document, "... three boxes have been provided to allow for eventual metrication".

METRIC IS ILLEGAL!
It is quite apparent that the use of metres on road and pedestrian signs and the positioning of yard/mile signs at metric intervals is to provide a bridgehead for future governments that wish to replace the mile with the kilometre. Nevertheless, there are legal obstacles to metrication that make the current use of metric on signs entirely illegal.

The 1994 Traffic Signs Regulations state :

• It is not lawful to use signs that show distances in metres or kilometres. This applies to both road traffic signs and pavement signs for pedestrians (although not to signs on private land).
   
• Signs giving restrictions on traffic width, length and weight must be in imperial units. Metric signs may only be used in addition to, and not in place of, signs marked in traditional units. Even dual imperial-metric signs are not permitted.
   
• Dual-marked signs are legal only for height restriction signs. Imperial-only signs are also legal for height signs but metric-only signs are not.

We believe that the best defence against K-Day is to act now against the current encroachments, in particular, by purging illegal metric signs from every corner of the UK. By rolling back the metric conversion of road and pedestrian signs, we can send a message to future governments that we will never accept the use of kilometres on our road signs.

WE NEED YOUR HELP
To achieve our goal, we need your involvement.
The illegal metric signs are :

• All directional signs marked in metric distances, be it metres or kilometres.
   
• Any sign showing restrictions on traffic width, length and weight in metric (so long as there are no corresponding imperial signs in the vicinity).
   
• All metric-only height restriction signs.

WE SUGGEST YOU USE THE FOLLOWING PLAN OF ACTION:
i. Locate metric signs and take photographs. Send a copy to BWMA with the date and location written on the back so that we may compile a national file. Disposable cameras are available from £8.

ii. If the sign is on a local road, write politely to the transportation or highway department of the county council, pointing out that such signs are illegal under the Traffic Signs Regulations 1994. Ask them to replace them with signs showing yards (do not ask them to merely remove the signs; we want yards reintroduced). Their address will be in the telephone directory under the name of the county council. If the sign is on a motorway or trunk road, write to the Highways Agency at (for England), St Christopher House, Southwark Street, London SE1 0TE.

iii. If the local authority does not comply, write to the Traffic Signs Policy Branch of the DETR, informing them that your local authority is acting illegally. Ask the DETR to write to the local authority to explain the law. The DETR's address is Zone 3/21, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DR.

iv. Do not enter debates with local councils about arguments for and against metric signage (e.g. to help tourists). If a local authority believes that metre signs are beneficial, then it is up to them to have the law changed. Until then, you need only argue that they must comply with the law.

v. Send copies of letters from local authorities to BWMA for our national file.

vi. If and when a metric sign is replaced with an imperial sign, take a photograph of the new sign from the same perspective as the previous (metric) photograph to illustrate "before and after". Send both photographs to your local newspaper with a covering letter to create publicity and to show the metric tide is turning.

BWMA will meanwhile be co-ordinating national press coverage and making representations to central government for pro-active enforcement of the law. We want these signs obliterated completely.

With regards to yard/mile signs showing distances of 110yds or 1/3 mile, etc, again write to the county council. Ask them why the signs are located in those positions and who authorised them. Send replies to BWMA.