The need for traffic data and tracking has grown in recent years, many authorities require personnel, and funding capacity to support this information has shrunk. As a result, the use of automatic traffic data processing techniques and facilities has grown dramatically.
Tools that are both wearable and permanently mounted are used in this technology. In both situations, the equipment contains a detector mounted on, in, or near the pavement and detects vehicle movement.
Traffic Counters: An Economic way to Count Traffic Precisely
A traffic counter is indeed an electronic instrument that counts, classifies, and measures vehicle traffic speed traveling along a particular lane. The unit is usually placed next to the road and works using an on-road tool.
For extended durations of traffic data processing, an electronic traffic count system is frequently used. These are advised where data must be obtained regularly with no effort for sampling sizes greater than 150 vehicles and other traffic characteristics such as axles, velocity, prerequisites, or distance.
To maintain the authenticity of the data collected and the results obtained, data integrity is essential.
Types Of Traffic Counters Being Used Currently
Following are the most common and widely used types Of Traffic Counters. Keep on reading to find out how and where you can use them.
Intrusive Devices
Intrusive devices are the very first and most commonly used devices. Intrusive devices are embedded in the concrete pavement through cuts or gaps in the roadway, digging beneath the surface and adjusting firmly into the pavement. These instruments are exact.
The interruption of traffic caused by implementation, maintenance, and breakdown involved with installation in fragile environments and poor quality implementation is a significant disadvantage of using invasive equipment. These instruments are also costly, extensive, and power-hungry, limiting their use in cities for good spatial reach.
Reinstallation of such systems could be needed as a result of road resurfacing and maintenance work. On top of that, workers’ protection, particularly those who operate these instruments, seems to have been an area of tension.
Non-intrusive sensors
Non-intrusive sensors are much more efficient and cost-effective compared to intrusive systems for vehicle identification and monitoring. They are simple to mount, operate securely with minimum traffic interruption, and provide traffic information with comparable precision to inductive sensing devices.
These devices may count the number of vehicles on the lane and their existence and movement. Some systems can also include the speed of the car, model, and detection zone coverage.
Most experts will recommend you using non-intrusive sensors to count the traffic precisely without spending much.
Off-Roadways Devices
These sensors use technology that doesn’t need any hardware to be installed under the ground or even on the roadway. The systems allow for traffic control by aviation or satellite and inspect vehicles armed with Automatic Vehicle Identification, Navigation system, and cell phones.
These systems will assist in achieving a high level of road coverage. However, questions over safety and other technological shortcomings hinder their use.
