Confusion over 24-hour Time in Australia
Monday 14 December 2009
Confusion over 24-hour Time
In the lead up to the busiest travel time of the year, Australians in record numbers will be
confronted with 24-hour time on tickets, timetables and schedules. Social Researcher Mark
McCrindle reveals the latest research on attitudes to 24-hour time in Australia today.
Aussies and 24 hour time: 20:00 v 8.00pm
Once called military time, 24 hour time is increasingly being used in Australia. While
24 hour time has been standard in most of Europe for decades, Australia has been a
late adopter of this move. However in a world of global connections, most timetables,
schedules, and tickets record 24 hour time, and increasingly time on our
technological devices only gives 24 hour time.
“In Australia we have a foot in each camp when it comes to expressing the time. While
in the UK and Europe, every timetable is expressed in 24-hour time, in Australia public
transport timetables and tickets are in 12-hour time while all Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin
flight schedules and tickets are in 24-hour time” states Mark McCrindle.
Confusing for 1 in 10:
Almost 1 in 10 Australians (9.5%) cannot interpret or
understand 24-hour time
Evenly divided: 29% definitely prefer normal (12-hour time) although 31% prefer
schedules expressed in 24-hour format
Most Australians have adjusted: Most Australians can work with 24-hour time
(74% are comfortable with either) but amongst the 1 in 10 Aussies that are
bamboozled by it- it is a key source of angst.
Costly confusion: The biggest gripe is missing flights due to misreading or
misunderstanding 24-hour time (13:00 was often mistaken for 3:00pm, or 16:00 for
6.00pm).
The hardest to interpret: The hardest times to interpret were those after 21:00 such
as 21:30 or 22:15 etc.
The way of the future: This research found that schedules, tickets, accommodation
information and timetables in Australia are increasingly being presented in 24-hour
format. This caters for overseas tourists who increasingly rely on 24-hour time, as
well as the international nature of travel and the need for international standards. So
the clock has started for 1 in 10 Australians who find it unintelligible.
Source:
Research method:
Scoping research and a national
survey of 462
respondents
from McCrindle Research’s proprietary, representative research
panel AustraliaSpeaks.com
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