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Category Archives: Law
Could a future Government reverse metrication?
A recent correspondent expressed the wish “Let’s hope the new (Conservative) government puts a stop to metrication as far as is practically possible.” Naturally, we disagree with this sentiment – but, whoever wins the election, what could they actually do … Continue reading
Posted in Consumer affairs, General, Law
Tagged metric, metrication, weights and measures
12 Comments
Crazy proposal to raise speed limits above speed limiter settings
As a bizarre consequence of the failure to switch to metric speed limits, the Department for Transport (DfT) is proposing to raise the motorway speed limit of coaches and buses from 60 mph (96.6 km/h) to 65 mph (104.6 km/h). That’s 4.6 % faster … Continue reading
Posted in Law, Road signs, Transport
Tagged metric road signs, metric speed limits, metrication, speed limiters
19 Comments
Will the European Commission challenge US labelling rules?
A recent posting by NIST (the National Institute of Standards and Technology) has prompted this question: Are American labelling requirements now illegal under WTO rules?
Posted in Consumer affairs, General, Law
Tagged dual-unit, EU, European Commission, Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, FPLA, metric, NIST, pint, weights and measures, World Trade Organisation, WTO
4 Comments
NHS risking patients’ lives with imperial scales
Six months after an official report warned of systemic negligence in medical weighing practice within the NHS, the Department of Health has failed to issue the necessary safety alert to hospital trusts to ensure that the report’s recommendations are implemented.
BIS sticks with pints of beer (but only on draught)
As expected the Business Department has refused to permit sales of draught beer and cider in convenient metric measures – but its reasoning is bizarre.
Signs review disregards Welsh road users
The Department for Transport (DfT) is failing to address the needs of Welsh road users, and international traffic, when considering road sign designs in its Traffic Signs Policy Review.
Posted in Law, Road signs, Transport
Tagged imperial road signs, metric road signs, Vienna Convention, Wales
9 Comments
End of imperial-only restriction signs
The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced its intention to finally end the use of imperial-only width and height restriction signs on Britain’s roads.
Posted in Law, Road signs, Transport
Tagged bridge strikes, imperial road signs, metric road signs
23 Comments
Chaos comes to National Cycle Network signs
In an apparent admission that cycle route signs showing distances in miles are not meaningful to cyclists, the Department for Transport is proposing to allow authorities the option of using signs that show journey times in hrs and mins instead … Continue reading
Posted in Law, Road signs, Transport
Tagged cycle route, journey time, metric, metric road signs, minutes, sustrans
7 Comments
Dual unit weighing scales can be harmful to health – official
In a damning report on the state of medical weighing equipment and procedures in hospitals across the country, LACORS, the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services, has highlighted the dangers of using weighing equipment that can display units other than … Continue reading
Posted in General, Health, Law
17 Comments
Twother or twaddle?
One area where metric units have been banned in the UK is draught beer and cider. This is despite the fact that bottled or canned beer and cider is mainly available in round metric quantities. Compared with most countries the … Continue reading
Posted in Consumer affairs, Health, Law
13 Comments