Do the British use miles or kilometers?

Do Brits use miles or kilometers?

Miles, dude. Totally miles. We’re, like, stubbornly British about it. It’s miles, not kilometers. I mean, we tried metric, once upon a time, but it didn’t really stick. Weird, right?

It’s kinda ingrained in our culture, you know? Road signs, speed limits, even how far you walk to the pub…it’s all miles.

Here’s the thing:

• Road signs are in miles.
• Speed limits are in miles per hour (mph).
• Distances are generally given in miles.
• My mate, Dave, he drives a lorry, swears by miles. He even thinks it’s weird to use kilometers!

It’s just… the way it is. Annoying for tourists, sure, but we’re not changing anytime soon. Though, I did once see a sign with both miles and kilometers. Maybe things are changing slowly. But still mostly miles. Its miles man, miles! I’m telling you.

Does the UK do miles or km?

Miles, dude. Miles, miles, and more miles. Think of it like this: kilometers are for fancy foreign cars, miles are for proper British bangers.

Key takeaway: Miles rule the roost. They’re like Marmite – you either love ’em or you hate ’em, but you can’t ignore ’em.

Here’s the lowdown, straight from my Auntie Mildred’s encyclopaedia (circa 1987, but the miles haven’t changed, have they?):

• Road signs: Miles. Always miles. Don’t even THINK about kilometers. Unless you’re on a fancy motorway heading toward Dover, then maybe a kilometer or two sneaks in.
• Maps: Mostly miles. Some maps are now trying to be clever and showing both, like they’re bilingual puppies or something. Annoying.
• Everyday chat: “It’s about five miles to my nan’s.” Not “It’s approximately 8 kilometers to my grandmother’s residence.” That sounds pretentious.
• My personal experience: Last year I drove from London to my sister’s in Cornwall. That was a whole lotta miles. And several questionable sausage rolls.

In short: Britain and miles are practically married. A long, complicated marriage with lots of arguments about whether to switch to the metric system, but still happily (mostly) using miles. Except my uncle Barry, he insists on using furlongs. Don’t ask.

Does the UK use mph or KPH?

The UK uses mph. Fact.

• MPH. Not KPH. End of discussion.

My speedometer, a 2023 Toyota Corolla, confirms this. It’s in mph. Simple.

Europe uses KPH. Different systems. Odd, really.

• Global inconsistency. A minor annoyance.

The Commonwealth? Mostly mph, I believe. Check their laws, though. I haven’t. Don’t care enough.

Driving in the UK: Stick to the mph signs. Avoid fines. Avoid jail. Or worse.

This matters. Because speed kills.

Does the UK measure in miles?

Miles, right? That’s what I always thought. But then Transport for London, TfL, uses kilometers. Weird, huh? Makes no sense. Why the double standard? Is it a leftover from the EU thing? Or maybe just a London thing? I hate inconsistencies.

Seriously, it’s confusing. I was planning a road trip to Scotland this summer, and the satnav kept switching between miles and kilometers. Grrr. I nearly missed my turn off the M6 because of it!

So, yeah, miles are the main unit, but obviously not everywhere. That’s really annoying. Like why? Why can’t they just pick one? This is ridiculous.

• Main unit: Miles – Used nationally for most purposes.
• Exception: TfL (Transport for London) – Uses kilometers for their signage and maps.
• My Scotland trip: A complete nightmare thanks to mixed units.

Ugh. Need more coffee. This is all too much. I’m going to stick to Google Maps and hope for the best next time. Maybe they’ll fix this someday.

Does UK cars have miles or km?

Miles and kilometers. A dual existence. The speedometer’s dance, a hypnotic blur. Miles, whispering tales of winding country lanes, sun-drenched coastal drives. My old Mini, a blur of motion, the needle trembling near eighty.

Kilometers, precise, mathematical. A stark contrast, a continental heartbeat. The rhythmic pulse of the autobahn, vast, unending. My heart quickened, mirroring the speedometer’s climb.

UK cars, a blend. A dual language of speed. 1977. The year the change took hold. A silent revolution on the road. Since then, a requirement, both measures coexisting.

A foreign car, perhaps. A different story. Miles, an unfamiliar guest. The speedometer, a silent judge. No miles, just kilometers. A silent declaration. The road unfolds, a ribbon of asphalt. The relentless spin of the Earth, a constant companion.

• Dual Speedometer Display: All UK registered vehicles post-1977 must show both mph and km/h.
• Foreign Vehicles: Generally don’t need mph display on their speedometers.

This dance, this duality, this is the UK road. Time and distance, an endless interplay. The highway stretches, a silver thread in the dusk. The past, a phantom passenger.