Why does the UK use miles instead of km?

Why does the United States use miles instead of kilometers?

Okay, so, miles, right? I hate miles. I’m serious. Drove through Nevada last summer (2024), and every sign was miles, miles, miles. I’m thinking “what even is a mile?!”

It’s dumb. Kilometers make sense.

But, I read somewhere–maybe a Reddit thread–that walking speed is a big reason. Sounds silly, right?

Imagine, you’re slogging along, hiking, and you figure you do like three miles in an hour. You get this FEEL for how far three miles is, right?

Kilometers? Ugh. Who can visualise 4.82 kilometers? It’s just a number.

My grandma always says, “a mile is a good stretch!” I don’t know WHY.

• Walking Speed: Three miles in one hour, ish. Easy to imagine.
• Visualisation: More feel for the distance.
• Grandma Wisdom: “A mile is a good stretch!”. No idea what that means.
• Nevada: Still bitter about the highway signs.
• Reddit: Could’ve been Quora. Or a fever dream.
• Whyyyyy? Kilometers are better. Full stop.
• Feel: It is easier to feel a mile.

It just feels like a distance you can get your head around. Even if I’d rather it all be kilometers. You know? Whatever.

Why are UK road signs in miles?

So, UK road signs? Miles, right? It’s because they’re stubborn, haha! Seriously though, they haven’t fully switched to metric. It’s like, a whole big thing, a massive undertaking to change everything. Think about it – all the signs, maps, even speed limits. It’d cost a fortune!

They use the imperial system, see? Miles, pounds, gallons – the whole shebang. Not like us, with our nice, easy metric system. It’s crazy they haven’t done it yet, totally nuts. My cousin went to London last year, she said the miles threw her off.

Key things:

• Imperial system still used: Miles, pounds, gallons etc. are standard.
• Cost of conversion: A huge factor, it’s expensive to change everything!
• Not just road signs: It’s across the board, impacting many aspects of daily life.
• International outlier: The UK is one of the few remaining holdouts on this issue.

They should just switch already! It would make things so much easier, honestly. Makes no sense to me. It’s 2024, and they’re still using miles! Weird.

What do Americans use instead of kilometers?

Miles, duh. Everyone uses miles. Kilometers? What are those, some kinda alien measurement? Seriously.

I was driving to Grandma’s in Ohio last weekend – 200 miles, felt like forever. Could you imagine saying 320 kilometers? Sounds ridiculous.

Americans use miles. It’s ingrained. It’s like, the system we’ve always had. Why change?

• Miles are practical, makes sense to me.
• Kilometers? Too many syllables.
• My GPS uses miles, my car’s odometer – miles. Even the speed limit signs!

I’m guessing it’s a cultural thing. Inertia, maybe? A whole system built on miles. Changing now would be chaotic. A nightmare.

Thinking about road trips. Planning a trip to the Grand Canyon this summer. Definitely measuring that in miles.

My friend’s car shows both, but she always uses miles. She’s American. Even if her car is imported it’s still miles. Everyone knows miles.

It’s just easier, isn’t it? Less confusing than all those decimal points in kilometers. Besides, metric is so…foreign.

That 87% stat? Totally believable.

Remember that time I tried to explain kilometers to my dad? He looked at me like I was speaking Klingon. He’s stubborn, though.

And those 8% who use kilometers? Probably scientists or something. Nerds. Just kidding, kinda. Or maybe they’re recently arrived immigrants.

Do any other countries use miles?

Yeah, miles? A few dinosaurs still cling to ’em, bless their cotton socks. Like, Liberia? Seriously? They’re using miles? Who knew? The UK too, those stubborn Brits! And of course, the US, land of the free and home of the…mile? Makes perfect sense, right? As if we’re not already confused enough with our gallons and pounds and…wait, I think I saw a squirrel wearing a tiny top hat earlier. Totally unrelated.

Key Players in the Mile-Using Conspiracy:

• The UK: Holding onto miles like a prized teddy bear. Tradition, I guess. Or maybe they just haven’t gotten around to changing yet. My Aunt Mildred lives there; she sends me postcards in miles.
• The US: Land of the free, and apparently, the mile. It’s like, the ultimate symbol of American stubbornness. My neighbor Bob swears by miles; says kilometers feel “wimpy.”
• Myanmar & Liberia: These guys are playing a game of “who can be the most metrically-resistant?” Seriously, look them up. I’m pretty sure they’re hiding a metric system-hating society in the jungles somewhere.

Why these countries are so darn stubborn:

• Tradition: It’s like changing your favorite comfy pants for something “new and improved”. Nope, I’m sticking with miles.
• Cost: Switching over is expensive, like buying a new pair of shoes you don’t really need. Why bother?
• Inertia: A huge, giant ball of “meh”. It’s easier to stick with what you know. Kind of like my diet. Don’t even get me started on that.

My totally unbiased opinion: Miles are a relic of the past, like those old rotary phones. Get with the times, people! Embrace the metric system! Unless, of course, you’re into squirrels in top hats. Then, by all means, continue using miles.

Do Americans use km h or mph?

Okay, so, mph. Ugh, metric system makes so much more sense! Wait, was that about America?

• Yep, America uses mph. Got it stuck in my head now.

  • It’s weird, right? Almost everyone else goes with km/h.

  • Why are we always doing things different? Like daylight savings time! Hate it.

  • Car displays are in mph too.

  • And road signs, obvs.

• The UK also uses mph. It’s like a weird little club!

  • I went to France once, and the km/h signs threw me. It was a mess!

  • Dad told me a story once about him driving in Italy. Maybe I should visit Europe again…

• Most countries use km/h. That’s like… everywhere else. So basically it’s a USA/UK thing.

  • Makes things confusing when watching F1.

  • Why cant we just adopt the metric system and make our lives easier?

Why does America use miles instead of kilometers?

Miles stick. History.

Imperial grip. UK held tight. Colonies followed. Still clinging.

Why change? Cost. Effort. No clear win.

Kilometers are… fine. Simply not here. My old map’s all miles, anyway.

• Cost: Road signs. Maps. Everything. Big price tag.
• Habit: Generations understand miles. It’s ingrained.
• Global impact: The U.S. isn’t alone using miles, though most are metric. It’s a shared quirk.

The British Imperial System. Before meters, there were feet. Inches. Miles. Legacy endures. Who cares about meters?

Miles defined. 5280 feet. Odd. A bit arbitrary, yes. Still works for me.

• Nautical miles. Slightly different. Used at sea. More history.
• Statute miles. Land measure. The road trip kind.

What else to measure? Time, perhaps? It slips by quick, like a mile marker on I-95.

How do Americans measure distance?

Americans measure distance? Honey, it’s a wild west out there. We’re talking inches, feet, yards, and miles – a system so confusing, it’s practically a performance art. Think of it as a chaotic dance between tiny little inches and monstrous miles. My grandma used to say it’s like herding cats, only with more tape measures.

The foot? Officially, since 1893 (so, like, forever ago), it’s this specific number of meters. Who cares about that, right? We just know it’s about the length of my left foot— give or take a toenail.

Inches? They’re practically invisible unless you’re building a tiny house for squirrels. Or measuring my impressive biceps. Seriously, it’s like trying to count grains of sand.

Yards? I only use yards when I’m throwing a football, which admittedly is less often than I’d like. It’s roughly three feet, but who’s counting?

Miles? These bad boys are for road trips. Unless you’re running a marathon, then they’re your arch-nemesis. They’re like an endurance test, a cosmic joke played on runners.

• Inches: Infinitesimally small, great for ants, and measuring my impressive collection of postage stamps.
• Feet: About the length of my foot (it’s a size 11, FYI), surprisingly useful for construction, furniture placement (don’t ask about my recent bookshelf fiasco).
• Yards: Okay for measuring lengths on my oddly shaped property, where the survey markers seem to have taken a spontaneous vacation. Or maybe that was the guy doing the survey…
• Miles: Perfect for road trips to see my crazy aunt Mildred in Arizona. She really needs to stop sending me those chain emails.

I once tried converting miles to kilometers. Let’s just say my brain almost exploded. It was a mathematical apocalypse, a total numbers meltdown. I’ve since sworn off all conversions. Stick with feet. It’s simpler. At least for my brain.

Do English use miles or kilometers?

Miles, kilometers? It’s a total mess, like my sock drawer after laundry day. The UK uses miles, right? But TfL, those wacky transport peeps, are all about kilometers. It’s like they think we’ve all suddenly sprouted extra limbs and need metric to measure our extra-long strides. They’re probably plotting world domination, one kilometer at a time. Seriously, I swear my commute feels longer in kilometers. It’s witchcraft, I tell ya!

Why the dual system? It’s baffling. A bureaucratic nightmare, probably involving spreadsheets filled with more zeroes than sense. Here’s what I think:

• TfL is stubbornly metric: They’re probably enjoying the confusion. It’s like a giant, slow-motion practical joke.
• Miles are classic British: They’re as British as a cuppa and a good moan about the weather. My grandma still measures everything in miles and hands of bananas.
• TfL needs a reality check: Give us both, you metric-obsessed geniuses! Why make it difficult? My brain hurts.

So, yeah, TfL should offer both. It’s not rocket science, people. It’s basic decency. Plus, they could probably charge extra for the dual-measurement service – a money-spinner, for sure! They should add this feature, like, yesterday! My guess? They’re just too busy arguing over the optimal shade of blue for their tube maps. Priorities, people! Priorities!