Highway Metrication: Approaching the General Public

Abstract

Commendable progress has been made in recent years in the application of metric dimensions and standards to the design and construction of U.S. road and highway systems and affected industries. The metrication experience of other U.S. industries has clearly shown that the rates of assimilation and adaptation to a change in measurement system correlate closely with the extent of technical background of those directly involved. In less than a decade and with very limited difficulty, the entire U.S. automobile industry changed to the use of the metric system throughout its vast network of design, manufacturing, and service organizations. Remarkably, that elaborate changeover yielded almost no public outcry because of the excellent strategy used by the industry. Use of the metric system was given a very low level of publicity because very few retail customers were affected. Beyond p-metric tire designations and mile-kilometer speed indications, few consumers were aware then, or are concerned today, that their automobiles, like all others worldwide, are manufactured entirely to metric dimensions and standards. A similar strategy is now being effectively pursued in that part of the construction industry responsible for major buildings. For all the same reasons and to the fullest extent possible, that strategy should be continued in the metrication of U.S. highway design, construction, and systems management.