Good video about why the U.S. doesn't change to the metric system

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Very interesting. I remember the US Auto Manufacturers we're going to change. I was doing brakes at a Sears at the time. Talk about a mess. I was having to buy two sets of tools and you never knew what a car had until you put a wrench on it. It wasn't a hard line change. Most cars had a mixture of sizes to make it more interesting than guess. Good to hear some information on why we don't or shouldn't change. Thanks for sharing this.
 
Kenny Durrant said:
Very interesting. I remember the US Auto Manufacturers we're going to change. I was doing brakes at a Sears at the time. Talk about a mess. I was having to buy two sets of tools and you never knew what a car had until you put a wrench on it. It wasn't a hard line change. Most cars had a mixture of sizes to make it more interesting than guess. Good to hear some information on why we don't or shouldn't change. Thanks for sharing this.
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Yep, the change over would be complicated and costly, too bad though as metric is easier and simpler. The Brits changed their monetary system years ago to metric years ago. It used to be a nightmare unless you grew up with
it. Their weight system was funky too, one stone eas 14 lbs, etc. Spent a lot of time there as my mom was British but even she was glad when they changed the monetary system. Standardization does have advantages.
 
Thanks! I thought this was awesome, and very patriotic for good ol' classic American values.

I know metric pretty well, as a lot of my astrophotography equipment comes from other countries, and a lot of the accessories are all in metric measurements. So I've had to use metric for that stuff for many, many years now. I generally understand metric. This guy really nailed something, though...that, it really IS hard to "think" in metric "naturally", because it doesn't actually conform to any kind of every-day natural objects that we interact with and encounter all the time. The Imperial system was based on real-world measures, and while in the distant past those measures often changed, the modern Imperial system does not. An inch is an inch, a foot is a foot, and that corresponds roughly but closely enough to aspects of our own bodies, or common natural objects, so we have intrinsic and natural reference points for the Imperial system. THAT really is valuable, and I think the guy in the video really nailed it when he said that.

I've been constructing a deck lately, and it is really nice to have things in imperial measurements...every piece of wood, every screw, every drill bit, etc. etc. is easy to understand, and grabbing the right one is so very natural. I had one thing that used metric, some lighting equipment, and it just wasn't natural! Not that I don't understand metric...I actually do...it just isn't natural.
 
Good video Rick.

I am comfortable with both systems but it is a pain when a piece of equipment mixes both systems.

My new LMS7350 lathe does that. A couple examples being screws on toolholders are metric thread but some are 3mm hex wrench; others 1/8" hex wrench in the same holder. Metric studs for the faceplate are 1/2" imperial wrench for the nuts.
 
Good video. I had a 1986 Buick and didn't have an SAE wrench or socket to fit the oil drain plug. Had to use an adjustable wrench. Then, viola! I discovered it was 16mm. Ever try to find a 16mm socket? Miracle as I found one in a hardware outlet store! Traded the car years ago but still have a 16mm socket which is sitting in a box with other metric sockets. I do find some uses for metric wrenches an sockets but wish the automotive industry would go all imperial. Different story with foreign products.
 
Interesting historical facts and some nice high speed milling footage. Their premise of imperial being superior to metric certainly got roasted in the comments!
 
I'd kind of like to hear from our brothers and sisters from other countries. I'd bet they feel the same way about our system if they grew up with the metrics. I also wonder since world trading has grown if they experience the same mixed nuts and bolts like we do.
 
Interesting & entertaining video. Just a few points to ponder.
1) The metric system is based on quantities that are every much as arbitrary as the Imperial system, even if they are more "science-based", and some of them have changed over time (including the definition of a meter). The key factor for everyday use (as well as scientific) is that there are standard prototypes available that we can calibrate our tools to — that's true for both the meter and the yard, as well as many other quantities. So it's not true that metric units are more accurate (as some believe) - imperial units can be measured just as accurately as metric.

2. Imperial units can also be divided or divided by 10, 100, 1000, etc, anytime we want. We can have milli or mega yards, feet, or inches if that's preferably to dividing by 8, 12, or 16. The metric system doesn't have a monopoly on powers of 10. In fact, we milli inches quite often - we just call them mils or thousandths of inches. I have rulers that I use regularly that are marked in centi inches on one side & milli meters on the other. So it's also not true that metric is inherently simpler - more so, the metric system has been reduced in scope which makes it appear to be simpler.

3. You can't tell me that everyone who uses the metric system has never used any fractional reference other than 10. Half & quarter are just as simple to visualize & say regardless of the unit being referenced.

Personally, I think the Potrezebie system should replace both. 😉
 
Sorry , I'm not convinced.

All I saw in this video was flawed augments for American exceptionalism based on the premise that Imperial is 'better' than metric. Utter nonsense!

Ultimately, the basis for units of measurements is irrelevant. What is important is how easily it is to integrate components from a variety of sources. In a global economy, the metric system is the system is measurements that is most widely used. In addition to being archaic, Imperial is used by relatively few economies around the world, which means that any efforts to collaborate across borders requires complicated conversions, and conversions are inherently the source of error.
 
Metric overall is much easier since there aren't fractions to deal with. It's not natural to us because we all learned SAE and fractions. Easier because all you do is divide or multiply by 10. Move the decimal point. What makes things difficult for us is converting one system to the other. That and the fact that there is no standardization. Pick one or the other and go with it. Whichever one is used, it should be used for everything. Having multiple measuring systems is stupid and non productive. Just my opinion.
 
BULLWINKLE said:
Metric overall is much easier since there aren't fractions to deal with. It's not natural to us because we all learned SAE and fractions. Easier because all you do is divide or multiply by 10. Move the decimal point. What makes things difficult for us is converting one system to the other. That and the fact that there is no standardization. Pick one or the other and go with it. Whichever one is used, it should be used for everything. Having multiple measuring systems is stupid and non productive. Just my opinion.
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I tend to agree. We could create a measurment system based on the average diameter of potatoes from a specific field in, say, New Jersey, and as long as we all agree and use that system it would be perfectly fine. The real problems come about when we interact with people using other measurement systems and have to do conversions.

IIt seems to me that most arguments against the metric system are based on the premise that we in America use Imperial, so therefore Imperial is better. To me, that is a false argument.
 
monophoto said:
I tend to agree. We could create a measurment system based on the average weight and diameter of potatoes from a specific field in, say, New Jersey in 1965, and as long as we all agree and use that system it would be perfectly fine. The real problems come about when we interact with people using other measurement systems and have to do conversions.

IIt seems to me that most arguments against the metric system are based on the premise that we in America use Imperial, so therefore Imperial is better. To me, that is a false argument.
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Actually, as pointed out in the video, the primary argument against changing to metric are the economic costs of doing so. Any other arguments are secondary.

Conversions for industrial usage are not difficult. I have to work with both all the time. It's not a problem. There are tools & apps that make it easy & straightforward.
 
monophoto said:
I tend to agree. We could create a measurment system based on the average diameter of potatoes from a specific field in, say, New Jersey, and as long as we all agree and use that system it would be perfectly fine. The real problems come about when we interact with people using other measurement systems and have to do conversions.

IIt seems to me that most arguments against the metric system are based on the premise that we in America use Imperial, so therefore Imperial is better. To me, that is a false argument.
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I agree with you 100%
 
In my field of endeavor I had to work with both imperial and metric.... some carriers gave me rates in metric tonnes, some in imperial tons, some in long tons, some in short tons. I was constantly converting weights and measures from one to the other.... I got air rates in $ per kilo, some in $ per pound, some in $ per metric volume, some in $ per imperial volume... got used to it and thought little of it, but as I've retired and aged, the conversions aren't so easy anymore.

The have converted liquor to litres and militers but don't think they converted the $ to reflect the smaller sizes. And not sure I would want to buy gasoline in liters rather than gallons.
 
Well now with respect we in Australia were chosen to convert to metric when my eldest daughter was in her 5th and final year of High School,she learnt both that year.She is now 67 So if there is a change it should be an educated one.You have a weird gallon,strange language formations. Every country has standards of their own . I respect this but buying and selling world wide is a continual nightmare,exchange rates apply differently in buying or selling we have a dollar you have one as well,no relation. If I buy in China I have to use US Dollars with the compulsory addition of conversion. Personally if I make something I use a measure with dual Imperial and Metric,also Calipers are dual or certainly I choose the dual ones. Happy 22nd Century my good friend. For the life of me houses are built in this country using MM,S (ideotic IMHO) Here I am 88 years young beset by the ravages of time and maturity and all I can do is adjust and compromise. My kindest regards and understanding mate whose dedication to others I deeply respect.
 
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Kenny Durrant said:
I'd kind of like to hear from our brothers and sisters from other countries. I'd bet they feel the same way about our system if they grew up with the metrics. I also wonder since world trading has grown if they experience the same mixed nuts and bolts like we do.
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There was an interesting episode of Great British Bake Off where one of the contestants brought out her grandmother's recipes and was going on about 'wow, they are in ounces'.

England managed to convert over. There may have been some fussing going, but as the older folks died off and the newer ones grew up with metric, the drama faded away.
 
What ever happened to critical thinking? Frankly, that video was an eye opener from a different perspective. It gave me insights into how conspiracy theories take hold and how they can seem so believable and true to those who are vulnerable to their appeal.

The author of the video makes many assertions without proof. He tricks you into believing that there is a causal relationship between the imperial system and American achievements. The historical truth is far more nuanced and complex than that. The video conveniently ignores so many other factors - the political systems and cultures of the two "sides", the broad western expansion of the US during the historical period, the availability of natural resources, etc.

If the Founding Fathers had put the United States on the metric system when it acquired independence in 1776, would the United States have failed to reach those pinnacles of achievement as a direct result of being on the metric system? I am not a historical scholar, but I believe that the choice of one measurement system over another at the founding of the country would NOT have significantly inhibited the historical growth and development of the country. Is it reasonable to think that Myanmar or Liberia could have landed on the moon instead of a metric US? I think not.

The video's author also assumes that the imperial system is superior to the metric system because it is naturally intuitive. I disagree. I say that the author's natural intuition is nothing more than familiarity and experience. People who grow up with the metric system feel equally intuitive about it. I can speak from the experience of living under both systems. I have been in the US a long time, but I also lived and worked many years in countries that used the metric system. Our children were born in a metric country. I had little trouble adapting to the metric system. Neither did my spouse. If you live long enough in a country with an unfamiliar measurement system, it will eventually become intuitive. Obviously some people adapt to these types of changes easily, while others never quite seem to catch on. That does not make one system more intuitive than another, just different. Did the author talk with people who grew up in a country that uses the metric system and then immigrated to the US, to ask them about their experiences with the change? I think not. I wonder how they feel about switching to the "superior" imperial system.

(By the way, @maxwell_smart007's fun example about measurements in Canada is so very true.)

One truth in the video is that there would be a cost to transition the US to metric. Some of it seems exaggerated. Nobody is going to convert old drawings and specifications from imperial to metric on a large scale.

My Opinions:

Switching to metric would entail a significant cost to United States, but that cost would be far offset by the resulting boost to our economy and everyone's standard of living over time.

The US is already on the path of switching to metric. In order to stay relevant in the global economy, many US companies have already moved to metric. Soda has been sold in 2 liter bottles for a long time. The problem is that the evolution is going painfully slow, and everyone in the US is paying the price for it.

Stubbornly clinging to the imperial system is not an expression of American pride, it is statement of American stubbornness and a clear demonstration of America's lack of vision and understanding of measurement standards.

The US government should step up and make the commitment to initiate the process of transitioning to metric. It must figure out how to make a transition as smooth as possible. We will have to live with dual systems for a long time, but we must start somewhere.

Sadly, this will become yet another way for conspiracy theorists and others to divide the country and cause havoc, rather than joining together to find our way to an obvious common goal.

There is little value to remaining on the imperial system indefinitely. At some point, we will start paying a significant premium to obtain products that align with our measurement system. Companies may decide to discontinue products adapted to the US market, saying that it is not worth the extra cost and effort. Instead of driving American innovation and growth, the imperial measurement system may contribute to further American isolation and decline.

I say the sooner we get started the better. Our government needs leaders who understand the long term implications of not transitioning, and are willing to do the heavy lifting that will be needed to steer the US in the right direction.
 
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P.S. Here are two relevant examples:

1. Betamax vs VHS
Look at what happened when video cassette recorders (VCRs) first hit the market. There were two competing format standards - Betamax and VHS. Betamax was limited to Sony. The other manufacturers went with VHS.

The people who chose VHS had a wide selection of players and movies to choose from. People who chose Betamax were limited to Sony players and a smaller selection of available movies. Over time, Betamax owners became isolated as fewer and fewer titles were released in the Betamax format. That large majority of VHS owners could share tapes with each other, but the Betamax owners were left out.

Betamax owners believed that they had the superior system, with better video quality, but it did not matter. The vast majority had moved to VHS. It left Betamax owners isolated, with a limited selection. Sony itself eventually made a VHS player. Eventually most Betamax owners abandoned the format in favor of VHS. They had little choice.

2. SawStop Table Saws and 10 inch vs. 250 mm Blades
SawStop table saws work with 10 inch blades. Many blades are now 250 mm, which is 9.84 inches - slightly smaller than that 10 inch blade. Some SawStop table saws have an adjustment that helps them adapt to the smaller 250 mm blades. Sometime the blade is just outside the adjustment limit and some SawStop saw do not have the adjuster. If the brake cannot sense the blade, the saw will not run. That's a problem with the smaller 250 mm blades and some SawStop saws.

SawStop owners with the 250 mm vs. 10 inch problem may find themselves in a future situation where true 10 inch blades are harder to find on the market. 10 inch blade availability may decline over time, and owners may have to pay a premium for a true 10 inch blade in the future.
 
penicillin said:
What ever happened to critical thinking? Frankly, that video was an eye opener from a different perspective. It gave me insights into how conspiracy theories take hold and how they can seem so believable and true to those who are vulnerable to their appeal.

The author of the video makes many assertions without proof. He tricks you into believing that there is a causal relationship between the imperial system and American achievements. The historical truth is far more nuanced and complex than that. The video conveniently ignores so many other factors - the political systems and cultures of the two "sides", the broad western expansion of the US during the historical period, the availability of natural resources, etc.

If the Founding Fathers had put the United States on the metric system when it acquired independence in 1776, would the United States have failed to reach those pinnacles of achievement as a direct result of being on the metric system? I am not a historical scholar, but I believe that the choice of one measurement system over another at the founding of the country would NOT have significantly inhibited the historical growth and development of the country. Is it reasonable to think that Myanmar or Liberia could have landed on the moon instead of a metric US? I think not.

The video's author also assumes that the imperial system is superior to the metric system because it is naturally intuitive. I disagree. I say that the author's natural intuition is nothing more than familiarity and experience. People who grow up with the metric system feel equally intuitive about it. I can speak from the experience of living under both systems. I have been in the US a long time, but I also lived and worked many years in countries that used the metric system. Our children were born in a metric country. I had little trouble adapting to the metric system. Neither did my spouse. If you live long enough in a country with an unfamiliar measurement system, it will eventually become intuitive. Obviously some people adapt to these types of changes easily, while others never quite seem to catch on. That does not make one system more intuitive than another, just different. Did the author talk with people who grew up in a country that uses the metric system and then immigrated to the US, to ask them about their experiences with the change? I think not. I wonder how they feel about switching to the "superior" imperial system.

(By the way, @maxwell_smart007's fun example about measurements in Canada is so very true.)

One truth in the video is that there would be a cost to transition the US to metric. Some of it seems exaggerated. Nobody is going to convert old drawings and specifications from imperial to metric on a large scale.

My Opinions:

Switching to metric would entail a significant cost to United States, but that cost would be far offset by the resulting boost to our economy and everyone's standard of living over time.

The US is already on the path of switching to metric. In order to stay relevant in the global economy, many US companies have already moved to metric. Soda has been sold in 2 liter bottles for a long time. The problem is that the evolution is going painfully slow, and everyone in the US is paying the price for it.

Stubbornly clinging to the imperial system is not an expression of American pride, it is statement of American stubbornness and a clear demonstration of America's lack of vision and understanding of measurement standards.

The US government should step up and make the commitment to initiate the process of transitioning to metric. It must figure out how to make a transition as smooth as possible. We will have to live with dual systems for a long time, but we must start somewhere.

Sadly, this will become yet another way for conspiracy theorists and others to divide the country and cause havoc, rather than joining together to find our way to an obvious common goal.

There is little value to remaining on the imperial system indefinitely. At some point, we will start paying a significant premium to obtain products that align with our measurement system. Companies may decide to discontinue products adapted to the US market, saying that it is not worth the extra cost and effort. Instead of driving American innovation and growth, the imperial measurement system may contribute to further American isolation and decline.

I say the sooner we get started the better. Our government needs leaders who understand the long term implications of not transitioning, and are willing to do the heavy lifting that will be needed to steer the US in the right direction.
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I respectfully disagree with everything you said.
 
There are some very good points. I don't have a stand on which one we should have or which is better. I do agree that which ever one you grew up with and have learned to use is the one you'll prefer. Im pretty much good with what works and the older I get change is hard for me to deal with. It was said we've been changing for a long time. Have We? I think we've been dabbling with the idea. Yes we've had metrics here but how long does it take to change? All I see is a bunch of mixtures causing headaches. If we're going to change pull the trigger and let's change. That way if you working big on a 2022 or earlier vehicle get your SAE tools. 2023 get your metrics.
 
Always funny reading the comments.
If the metric system is so good why are there 24 hours in a day and not ten?
Metric sockets work on imperial but imperials don't work on metric.

😄
 
A lot of the comments on the video were clueless as to the american inventions the video was talking about.

Such as the refrigerator. The modern refrigerator, as a household device, was invented in 1899 by American inventor Albert T. Marshall. There were earlier "refrigerators", and the earliest form was really just an icebox designed by a Scottish inventor. Another early "refrigiratory" was created by an American farmer, Thomas Moore, in the early 1800s....it was basically an ice box, but a bit more advanced than William Cullen's.

But the MODERN refrigerator was created by Altert T. Marshall, and used a cooling system powered by a mechanical pump that moved an expanding gas through pipes, much like todays freon-based refrigerators are now.

It was John Gorrie, an American immigrant and scientist, who first patented mechanical refrigeration (compression and expansion of a fluid from gas to liquid (phase-change) to absorb and move energy), originally for the creation of ice, but later for refrigeration and air conditioning.

The commenters on the video lambasting the video author about the inventions he listed as not being American. I think many don't know their history well enough...nor did many understand that the video author was most likely referring to specific, patented inventions created by American inventors, even if they were not the first related invention in the given field. The video author also stated rather clearly that he was referring to devices that support and run our daily lives these days (much of which was originally created in the 1800s or early 1900s). We don't really use ice boxes as our primary form of refrigeration, for example...we use freon phase-change based devices based on John Gorrie's ad Albert Marshall's designs. So too, does most of the rest of the world...
 
A lot of the confusion could have been avoided if the French had simply decided that a meter was equivalent to a yard, a liter was equivalent to a quart (or gallon), a gram was equivalent to an ounce, etc. But nooooo - they had to come up with something totally different from those Brits.

No one calibrates their length measurement instruments to the diameter of the earth or a light beam in a vacuum (no one can even exactly quantify those things in the first place - yet somehow, we're supposed to believe that they make more sense than the length of someone's arm?)

All calibration is based on physical prototype standards at each country's bureau or commission for standards, not some gobbledygook scientific concept that can't be reasonably or accurately duplicated.

The simplest solution is to shorten the length of a meter a smidgen so it would be the same length as a yard.

BTW, I had a Sony Betamax system & it was clearly superior to VHS. Sony's mistake was keeping it a proprietary technology.

(I hope everyone realizes that I am just trying to inject a little levity into the conversation) .
 
All I am reading here is hearsay and what if we did this and what if we did that years ago and all that. All well and good but it did not happen and until it happens we deal with it the way we feel works for us. I grew up with fractions and can work them quite well thank you because that is the way I was taught. Now I deal with metric measurements whenever I need to because of tools mainly. Does it make one better than another falls in the same catagory as politics (REP and DEMs) ideas, and falls into catagory of who is actually the Homerun king that is being debated now with Judge and Bonds. Factors and thought process goes into each so debate chum is all this is in my eyes. Use what makes you happy and gets the job done.
 
As US importance, relevance and influence declines, and it's well underway, she'll be sidelined if unwilling to adapt to the ways of the rest of the world. Metrification is an important part of that but if you don't want to change the world will leave you behind. The last place I worked had about one hundred working on the floor and with the exception of two small HAAS milling machines all the rest were Japanese, Italian and Swiss. All the old US made machines replaced by foreign made equipment, the American made machines were not even considered (I asked). As for the cost of changing all modern machines only need to have metric selected and it shows up on the display. Same holds true for every design and CAD program. The US is one twentieth of the worlds population and will be unable to resist the change for a lot longer. Someday you will cave in or be living in them. 😉
 
Curly said:
As US importance, relevance and influence declines, and it's well underway, she'll be sidelined if unwilling to adapt to the ways of the rest of the world. Metrification is an important part of that but if you don't want to change the world will leave you behind. The last place I worked had about one hundred working on the floor and with the exception of two small HAAS milling machines all the rest were Japanese, Italian and Swiss. All the old US made machines replaced by foreign made equipment, the American made machines were not even considered (I asked). As for the cost of changing all modern machines only need to have metric selected and it shows up on the display. Same holds true for every design and CAD program. The US is one twentieth of the worlds population and will be unable to resist the change for a lot longer. Someday you will cave in or be living in them. 😉
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Will our money be changing too because the world is becoming digital coin happy?? It will not happen in my lifetime so hope all goes well. That is if we do not blow each other up before that happens. This is becoming political.
 
I grew up in a hardware store. As a little boy the sizes of screws were explained to me in English sizes. This was in the early 1970s. At that time, the sizes on the boxes were still written in imperial. I had no problem with this. The conversion of measurements from inches to metric had already been started long ago. But in an old company, founded in 1823, this sometimes takes longer. Everything at school was measured in meters and millimeters. This calculates much easier for slightly more complex cases. We still use nglish sizes. All threaded fittings of water pipes are in BSP(T). The pipes are then again in millimeters. (The new plastic pipes and fittings are changing in metric)
If I order an ounce of cold cuts from the butcher, I get 100 grams. If I order a pound, I get 500 grams. However, if the butcher puts in his display case that a pound of meat costs 10 euros, he can be fined. Because it is not allowed to use the terms..
More and more 1/2" router bits are being used here because you can order them cheaply on the www. The equivilent is 12 mm and only available in a top quality here. At an often 10 times higher price.
Converting imperial drawings to metric is almost impossible for an average woodworker. You will always miss a millimeter.
When you Amercian, for whatever reason, switch to metric then immediately switch to a voltage of 240 Volt 50 Hz.:eek:😇:p
 
wimkluck said:
When you Amercian, for whatever reason, switch to metric then immediately switch to a voltage of 240 Volt 50 Hz.:eek:😇:p
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Totally irrelevant! The fact that the US - and most of the rest of the Western Hemisphere - is separated from Europe and Asia by oceans means that the only time 60Hz 120v vs 50Hz 240 v. will ever need to be discussed is when a couple of power engineers are sharing a pitcher of beer and run out of things to talk about.
 
I have to politely disagree with the video. I'm and engineer, a former auto mechanic, and have also been a machinist, and the conversion would not be that costly or difficult to do. No, nobody would have to go back and change all the drawings for everything ever made. Look at what the US military did some time ago; mandated that everything made to 'mil spec' (military specifications) has to be metric. The US auto industry changed in the 90s to all metric. It didn't stop the production of cars, and hasn't crippled out military. Yes people will need to develop a new set of references for what each value is, but that happens pretty quickly if you do a total emersion in the new system. Most differences are slight changes, like 100mm is about 4", and 125mm is about 5". A Kg is 2.2 lbs, so multiply Kg by 2 and you are in the ballpark for most common items. I've found cooking using metric measurements is much easier, as you use weight rather than volume generally, and that is usually in grams. My sourdough uses 350g of flour, 100g of starter, 300g of water, and you're good to go. If you want to change the hydration, the numbers are trivial to adjust.

I used to run into engineers that used the 'I like imperial units because I've been using them so long, I know all the conversions, and am comfortable with that'. I'm now at that age (63, and have been an engineer for 25 years), and would change over tomorrow if it were legislated, and I wouldn't grumble a bit. Sorry, but the arguments made in the video don't hold water to me. The SI system is simpler, more flexible, and more universal than our antiquated Imperial system IMHO.

So there. :cool:
 
AllanS said:
Probably around the same time you start driving on the right side of the road. :p
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Does anyone remember the day when Sweden switched from left side driving to right side driving? They chose a day, got ready, and when the day came, everyone switched sides of the road to drive on. That was a long time ago.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagen_H

I also remember when the British changed their coinage from the old system to decimal coins a few years later.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimal_Day
 
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penicillin said:
Does anyone remember the day when Sweden switched from left side driving to right side driving? They chose a day, got ready, and when the day came, everyone switched sides of the road to drive on. That was a long time ago.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagen_H

I also remember when the British changed their coinage from the old system to decimal coins a few years later.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimal_Day
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That changeover happened in the 60's right? I think, if the US was to change the side of the road we drive on, doing it back in the 50s or 60s would have been the time. Maybe this goes for any country today....

1) There are SIGNIFICANTLY more cars on the road these days
2) The prevalence of distracted and even strait up oblivious drivers is beyond the pale these days

I honestly couldn't see the people of most countries these days being responsible enough to handle a road side switch safely. I think, if any country did it again, it would be more than just a sh*t-show....it might just be a bloodbath. The roads are already getting incredibly unsafe...I remember a decade ago, usually when you saw a collision on the roads, it was usually not major damage, people would pull out of traffic, people usually didn't die, etc. There were the occasional bad crashes, but it wasn't the norm. These days? Multiple collisions every day. Multiple on the highways, and it seems more and more, entire intersections are getting shut down every few days due to collisions. If I pass a collision on the roads these days...and not just the highway, even surface streets...vehicles are being obliterated, to say nothing of the occupants. My closest intersection has seen at least 4 major car crashes in the last few weeks!! Twice now, vehicles have pulverized a major utility box for comms equipment (fiber, I think) for several neighborhoods. The vehicles are usually pulverized as well, with shrapnel strewn across the entire intersection, which needs to be shut down so the police can do their job. One of the accidents effectively ripped one of the cars in half, and the other's engine was almost inside the vehicle... Strait up cell phone usage, with one of the drivers absolutely oblivious of the lights changing.

America is also far from the worst for this kind of thing...but its beyond bad as it is. Crazy thing is, you know it can get a lot worse!! Couldn't see any major changes to how we drive these days. Either roadside, or even MPH to KPH...people are too distracted, too buried in their phones, too oblivious...

Sadly, I also couldn't see our infrastructure being updated in a timely manner, or even correctly, either. Alongside the obliviousness with people, particularly younger generations these days, is a growing amount of disinterest and incompetence in their jobs. There are already a lot more mistakes with road signage and paint, road repair (or timely repairs...we have this spot on one of our major roads here that has repeatedly been worn so much that rebar shows through. There are two pieces that are not connected, and just stick strait out of the asphalt once it wears, and if someone drives over them at the right angle and speed, it would be an immediate puncture of their tire. The darn spot has been repaired half a dozen times, every time its a cheap, half-a**ed repair that doesn't last more than a couple of months...then the safety risk rears its ugly head again!), lights are sometimes going out for days, etc. This country couldn't be coordinated enough across its entire area with infrastructural changes to make a roadside switch. IF it happened, and was successful, it would be something that took years.

While I'll never set foot in a self-driving car, I would rather have smart roads and self driving cars next. At least then, I could have confidence that the distracted drivers were no longer driving!! I'd rather face a bunch of bots on the road that drive strictly according to a set of rules, than have a plethora of oblivious humans investing 99% of their attention in the latest text, tweet tiktok or instagram post blazing through intersections at 50 miles per hour. 😨
 
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