Few Smiles Per Mile As Ireland Goes Metric

In one of the biggest shake-ups in motoring for years, drivers in the Irish Republic are going metric - but the problems are already piling up.

Auto Express Car Reviews

16th September 2004

The plan is that on 1 December, everything switches from mph to kph. A staggering 58,000 new speed limit and 'distance to destination' signs are being erected, at a total cost of 9million Euros (΂£6million).

However, until the changeover has been completed, some roads will carry both sets of signs, adding to motorists' confusion. Meanwhile, the limits on several classes of road are being adjusted, so the signs carry whole numbers. For example, the motorway limit will be 120kph, rather than 112kph (70mph). News that from January all new models will have to be fitted with speedos marked in kph isn't helping, either.

What's more, according to a survey by RAC Ireland, only 15 per cent of motorists in Dublin can convert 70kph into its mph equivalent. Some suggested 30mph, while others believed it was more than 100mph. The correct answer is 44mph.

To help ease the switch, the Irish Department of Transport is to issue every driver with a 'ready reckoner'. It's an at-a-glance guide that can be placed on a vehicle's dashboard or windscreen to help motorists keep within the law. Another 1.5million Euros (΂£1m) is being spent on a public information campaign.