# Note to visiting American friends: Canada uses metric **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 27, 2021, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038 "2021-11-27T23:47:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2021, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038/1 "2021-11-27T23:47:44Z")
Mounties in Saskatchewan recently clocked a car going 202 km/hr. Speed limit is 100 km/hr. They double-checked their radar to make sure it was accurate, then set off in pursuit. Car was being driven by someone who had “recently entered Canada” from the United States, and thought he was just driving a bit over the speed limit of 100 mph. The speed signs had that big **100** , after all. Mounties did a “friendly” and gave the driver a warning, instead of the standard ticket, which based on the speed, would have been $2,055. Canadian, that is. > **[Driver avoids $2K ticket after setting cruise control in miles per hour in...](https://globalnews.ca/news/8406211/driver-speeding-ticket-cruise-control-miles-per-hour-saskatchewan/)** > > An officer says a vehicle was clocked going 202 km/h near Wolseley, Sask., on Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2021, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038/2 "2021-11-27T23:49:59Z")
He was going 25 mph over what he thought was a 100 mph limit? How do you not throw the book at that idiot? ---
**Author:** ![Honolulu\_Lulu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/87869e/32.png) [@Honolulu\_Lulu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honolulu_Lulu)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038/3 "2021-11-28T00:54:33Z")
On a related note: As a metric supporter visiting Nova Scotia about 25 years ago, I asked how far away is Halifax. I already knew the answer. The purpose of my question was to see whether they answered in miles or kilometers. “About 20 minutes” was the reply. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038/4 "2021-11-28T01:14:43Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > **He was going 25 mph over what he thought was a 100 mph limit?** > > How do you not throw the book at that idiot? “Canada looks so much faster than on TV”. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038/5 "2021-11-28T01:20:50Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > He was going 25 mph over what he thought was a 100 mph limit? > > How do you not throw the book at that idiot? Well, the Trans-Canada at that point is a divided highway, and Saskatchewan is pretty flat… If the Germans can do it… ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038/6 "2021-11-28T01:35:01Z")
At over 200 km/h, an easy stunting/racing/excessive speeding ticket. Glad to see the cops weren’t dicks, and I hope the dangerous speeding idiot stops endangering everyone on the road. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038/7 "2021-11-28T02:10:02Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > would have been $2,055. > > Canadian, that is. So 120 _real_ dollars? I kid, I kid. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038/8 "2021-11-28T02:17:25Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > > > would have been $2,055. > > > > Canadian, that is. > > So 120 _real_ dollars? > > I kid, I kid. - Is a box containing Canadian dollars called a loonie bin? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038/9 "2021-11-28T02:33:41Z")
I think I know how to convert between miles and kilometers, but how many minutes are in a metric hour? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038/10 "2021-11-28T02:34:19Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > how many minutes are in a metric hour? 100, of course. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038/11 "2021-11-28T02:34:55Z")
Did the guy wonder why he was passing other drivers as if they were standing still? “Gee, them Canadians sure do drive slow!” ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038/12 "2021-11-28T03:30:26Z")
Ca. 1990, I worked with a woman who took a brief trip to the International Falls area. Upon her return, she commented on how cheap the gas was. She didn’t realize it was sold by the liter. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038/13 "2021-11-28T04:41:57Z")
California has what’s called the basic speed law, which makes it illegal to drive faster than is safe, regardless of the posted limit. For instance, you aren’t allowed to drive at 65 MPH on a freeway if it’s raining so hard you can’t see very far ahead. Does Canada have the same thing? Driving over 100 MPH is nuts, no matter what the sign says. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038/14 "2021-11-28T04:53:51Z")
Driving laws are typically provincial, so can’t speak for all of Canada, but in my province, there is an offence of “driving unsafe for the road conditions”. If there’s a blizzard on, you drive much more slowly. There’s also a federal criminal offence offence of “dangerous driving”, which might have applied if the fellow had got in an accident. ---
**Author:** ![tavaritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/71e660/32.png) [@tavaritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavaritz)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038/15 "2021-11-28T08:40:18Z")
What I know is that in rural areas the local police let things go by as long as you don’t cause accident. I remember a peninsula in the finnish lake district where over the strait was ferry service and in the other side was county line eg. different police district. The consensus was that as long as you stayed on the peninsula everything goes. The ferry pilot won’t let drunk driver over the strait and on the other end it’s not my problem field existed. Then they built bridge over the strait and everything changed. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038/16 "2021-11-28T12:57:12Z")
20 minutes? How much is that in _real_ minutes? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038/17 "2021-11-28T13:02:52Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > Driving over 100 MPH is nuts, no matter what the sign says. Not in Texas. There, _it’s your right._ ---
**Author:** ![Bonum\_Legatum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bonum_legatum/32/6183_2.png) [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038/18 "2021-11-28T13:51:07Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I think I know how to convert between miles and kilometers, but how many minutes are in a metric hour? > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > 100, of course. 😃 Don’t laugh. > **[Decimal Time: How the French Made a 10-Hour Day](https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/32127/decimal-time-how-french-made-10-hour-day)** > > In 1793, the French smashed the old clock in favor of French Revolutionary Time: a 10-hour day, with 100 minutes per hour, and 100 seconds per minute. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038/19 "2021-11-28T14:28:11Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Mounties in Saskatchewan recently clocked a car going 202 km/hr. > > […] > > Mounties did a “friendly” and gave the driver a warning, instead of the standard ticket, which based on the speed, would have been $2,055. That’s surprising— when we took a trip to Niagara Falls from the Metro Detroit area years ago, we drove through Canada because it’s a little quicker, and there were many signs on the highway that said “driving over 150KPH will result in immediate vehicle impoundment”. I got the impression that Canadians took speeding very seriously. I made a very minor “dumb American” error while driving to Niagara Falls, but not speeding— I saw a sign that said “Niagara Falls 500”, did a little mental math to estimate how long it would take to drive 500 miles at my average speed, which I always do on long highway trips, and I was amazed what great time we made! Until I finally realized, oh yeah, it was 500 _ **Kilometers** _, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038/20 "2021-11-28T14:29:43Z")
Canada is a federation, and highway traffic laws are provincial. Ontario may take a different approach than Saskatchewan. Ontario may have more of a problem with speeders and therefore takes harsher measures? Dunno. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-to-visiting-american-friends-canada-uses-metric/955038.md?page=2)