Here, in Canada, our odometers register in kilometres and tenths of kilometres. Distances to features such as bumps or turn-offs are given in metres. For instance, a turn-off might be displayed as being 500 m ahead.

All one has to do is add a '5' to the tenths position on the odometer in order to guage the approach to the feature.

It is difficult to imagine that, with odometers in miles and tenths, how it would be more convenient to have features announced as being 1,000 feet or 400 yards ahead. We USED to do that so we know an improvement when we encounter one.

Objections to SI road signs are based on emotion, not intellect.

Objections to road signs are based on emotion not intellect?

Funny that. That's what the Danish people were told to get them to sign up to the euro (and what we will be told). They didn't...and the Danish economy is now outperforming its eurozone competitors.

There are two key intellectual arguments for retaining imperial measures:

1. That it is an integral part of maintaining a British culture and way of life. The recent words of former Chief Inspector of Schools may be relevant in this context: "National identity gives a country a collective strength and is the surest defence of its liberty. The weaker our national identity becomes, the more easily can undemocratic forces pick us off. British weights and measures are part of our national identity
2. That as they consist of units more familiar to the human mind, they are more useful

Tony Bennett

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but, I recall that the equivalent of the interstate in Canada (whatever it is) that leads from Washington State to Vancouver has a bit of an odd signage scheme. As I recall, the northbound lanes going to Vancouver display signs in "Miles Per Hour" and Miles to this, and Miles to That, and so on, and on the southbound lane, everything is in kilometers. The reason, of course, is that Americans, who would logically be the ones travelling North, refuse to follow your lovely kilometers. Now, some American's may be dumb, and a lot of us may be lazy, which is what I find fascinating about this whole argument. IF the metric system is far easier to use and understand than English units, then why in the world hasn't the most technologically advanced civilization in the history of the Earth adopted them? The answer, sadly for metric proponents such as yourself, is that they aren't any easier for a layman, not all that easier for a scientist as I'm finding out in several classes I'm taking. Its also a well known fact that your first impression of most things is usually correct, so, for the US as a society, our first impression was that the metric system sucks, that's still our impression, and because of that, we aren't using it today Remember, the same "intellect" you refer to for supreme guidance was also telling us a mere 50 years ago that canals existed on Mars, and that those canals had to be created by an ancient advanced civilization on Mars. They were wrong. Why anyone would blindly follow these people is beyond me...they've been wrong as many times as they've been right...