Should street sign fractions be reduced?

[Renew Deal]

Today I was in Philly and saw this sign:



South Street
Left 2/10 Mile

I found it strange that the sign used an unreduced fraction. Wouldn't it make more sense and be more mathematically tidy for the sign to say "Left 1/5 Mile"?

[Electric Monk]

1. Does your vehicles odometer display fifths of a mile, or tenths?

I've never heard of one that displayed fifths.

[Renew Deal]

2. Good point

Though those of us that took HS math should be able to figure out that 1/5th is the same as 2/10ths. Also there are plenty of signs with 1/4th of a mile. No one has fourths on their odometer.

[csziggy]

3. Here is what is weird in highway signs

I've been playing a lot of GeoGuessr.com and in several countries I see signs telling the drivers that something is "2000 M" or "5000 M" ahead. The first time I saw one of these I zoomed in on the sign to see if a "K" had fallen off! I would understand "500 M" since I don't think anyone uses decimeters very much for measuring distances, but "5000 M" is just bizarre.

With the metric system wouldn't it make more sense to us "2 km" or "5 km" instead?

[Renew Deal]

4. Good point

[MohRokTah]

5. Average city blocks on the East Coast are 1/10 of a mile.

That sign was tanamount to saying the left was two blocks away.