The inch is a standard of measurement. Money is a standard of exchange. Words are standards of communication.
Traffic lights are safety standards.
Octane numbers of gasoline are quality standards. Standardization has a major impact on our lives, yet most people know little about the process or about the standards themselves. Few people question that their ATM card works at every money machine in the world, but this confidence could not be possible without standards. While driving we are on the lookout for hexagonal, not round or square-shaped stop signs, just as we know that inverted triangles indicate where traffic should yield. These are just a few of the thousands of standards that impact on our lives.