UK Metric Association

The UK Metric Association, or UKMA, is an advocacy group in the United Kingdom that argues for completion of the British metrication programme. UKMA argues that the continued use of two incompatible systems of measurement causes misunderstanding, confusion and mistakes, undermines consumer protection, retards children's education, results in additional costs and is against the national interest.

UKMA was founded in 1999 and formally associated in 2002 as an independent, non-party political, single-issue organisation. The current chairman is Robin Paice. Political patrons include Lord Kinnock (Lab), Lord Howe of Aberavon (Con), Lord Taverne (Lib Dem), Dr Nick Palmer (Lab) and Ian Taylor (Con).

UKMA has released two major reports, aimed at stimulating discussion in Britain about completing the transition to international standard units:

*"A very British mess" (ISBN 0-7503-1014-6, 2004) is a survey of the use of units in the United Kingdom and the ways in which confusion can arise from the simultaneous use of two systems. It has also been used as a campaign slogan similarly.

*"Metric signs ahead" ( [http://www.ukma.org.uk/press/releases/MSA/MSAprkit.htm] , February 2006) focuses on road signs, the last major area where current UK legislation mandates the use of miles, yards, feet and inches. The report estimates that the total cost of switching all of the UK's estimated 500 000 traffic signs from miles, yards and miles per hour to kilometres, metres and kilometres per hour would be £80 million (£160 per sign, including installation), of which £20 million would be for 200 000 speed limit signs. It argues that while, for safety reasons, all speed signs would have to be changed during a very short transition period (a few days), other road signs and markings that indicate distances or height restrictions could be changed more gradually, often in the course of routine maintenance.

UKMA takes no view on unrelated issues such as adopting the Euro or driving on the right.

ee also

* Metrication
* Metrication in the UK
* British Weights and Measures Association – an anti-metrication advocacy group in the United Kingdom
* U.S. Metric Association – the U.S. metrication advocacy group that inspired the founding of the UKMA
* Metric Martyrs – a group of English greengrocers who were convicted for using unapproved scales

References

* 'Call for metric road sign switch', "BBC News", 2006-02-23 [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4741894.stm]
* 'Campaign for £80m switch to kilometres', "The Guardian", 2006-02-23, p. 6

External links

* [http://www.ukma.org.uk UK Metric Association website]
* [http://metricviews.org.uk/ UK Metric Association blog]