What a UK metric road signs changeover could look like

We have explained the need to go metric, to have metric road signs, and have given many examples of what metric road signs would look like. I also believe metrication is a good time to have a look at signage improvements including clutter removal.  I do not plan on going into too much detail about the changeover, as metrication and road signs have been rather overdone (on this blog). But I do intend on looking at the key points.

Signage improvements: Traffic calming, warning of pedestrians

In this article, we look at signage improvements for traffic calming, including give way to oncoming traffic, priority over oncoming traffic, and humps . Also shown in this article are improvements to signs warning of pedestrians, including making the graphic for zebra crosssing actually look like a zebra crossing among other things.

In general, the improvements shown here (as in our other signage improvement articles) are to metricate, and either remove wordy supplementary plates, or to replace wordy supplementary plates with symbolic supplementary plates.

Signage improvements: No stopping and no waiting

Following on from the previous article regarding decluttering parking signs, this article suggests improvements to no stopping and no waiting (also known as no parking) signs. There are many no stopping and no waiting signs which have unnecessary wording, and more importantly use 12-hour time and non-metric measures which have to be converted.

Signage Improvements: Decluttering parking signs

This article is another signage improvement suggestions article, in which we focus on parking signs.  Parking signs are good in the UK in that they are mostly symbolic, and generally conform to international norms.  However, there are some problems including that non-metric measurements and 12 hour time are used, there are lots of wordy signs, and some of the parking signs can be very cluttered as a result, especially in urban areas.

Restriction signs and depth indicators

Following on from the previous article "Supplementary plates for warning and restriction signs", this article looks at restriction signs and depth indicators, which needs to be converted to metric-only.  This article gives examples of metric-only signs for height restrictions, width restrictions, and length restrictions signs, signs warning of restrictions ahead, and correcting the symbol on the already metric weight restriction signs.  In addition to this, an example of a metric-only depth indicator is shown.

Supplementary plates for warning and restriction signs

Supplementary plates exist below warning and restriction signs to tell you how far a hazard / restriction is. In the UK, the measurements on these plates are either in yards, fractions of a mile, or miles, and need to be converted to either metres or kilometres as appropriate. Conversion of these measurements will be very straightforward. Examples of what converted signs might look like are also shown in this article.

Metric direction signs and other distance signs in the UK

Following on from this article which showed route confirmation distance signs, more metric distance signs are shown. This article will show what direction signs (including chevron direction signs) with metric distances will look like, and other distance signs such as end of motorway and lane approach (lane merge and similar) signs may look like when conversion is complete.

More UK metric distance signs: Route confirmation

This article shows more distance signs, focusing on route confirmation signs. This article will show what these signs may look like once they have been converted to show metric units.  Earlier articles have shown examples of metric distance signs for junctions and services, and also metric speed limit signs.

UK metric distance signs: Junction and service signs

We have explained why we need metric road signs in our earlier article "British metric road signs: an overdue changeover", and have also given examples of what metric speed limit signs will look like in the UK.