If it seems like there are more people and motorists on the roads today—it’s true. Counties across the United States have seen a gain in population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more counties saw population gains than losses in 2023.
Roadways naturally become more congested when the area’s population grows. Not only is there more residential traffic, there is an increase in commuters, commercial vehicles, and even public transportation. Unfortunately, with more traffic on the road, there is inherently an increase in speeding incidents, accidents, and a need for road maintenance.
The Department of Transportation (DOT), municipalities, and law enforcement agencies have a responsibility to ensure the safety of motorists on the roadways. Accurate traffic data collection is a key component. But what exactly is traffic data collection, and how is it used?
Traffic data collection is the process of collecting, examining, interpreting, and then storing information about segments of the roadways and highways. There are four main ways traffic data collection is used.
1. Traffic Pattern Distribution and Speeding Conditions
Studying how traffic flows through specific areas and the speeding conditions on certain roadway segments helps agencies make adjustments to lower the risk and rate of accident occurrences.
For example, in an area with regular, heavy traffic flow and where a signalized intersection is problematic, traffic data may help determine if a roundabout would be the most useful and safest solution. Another example is studying the rate of traffic near a school to determine the need to lower speed limits and use RADAR speed displays for high-speed awareness.
2. Help Increase Safety in High Speed Areas
The DOT, municipal governments, and law enforcement agencies use traffic data collection to make high-speed areas safer for motorists and pedestrians. Speed zone studies collect data to help identify roadway safety issues, and then set appropriate speed limits for specific segments of those roadways.
The data collected may include, but not be limited to, accident reports, number of vehicles passing through that segment during a specific time period, speed variations, and other traffic flow points. With a product like the StealthStat II from Kustom Signals, agencies can conduct covert traffic data collections in targeted areas to spot trends and form data-driven decisions.
3. Implement Road, Highway, and Bridge Infrastructure
When it comes to high-quality, innovative, and easy to use in-car RADAR, it’s the Eagle 3 from Kustom Traffic data can show more than just high speed areas or accident hotspots. Vehicle count and classification data can show how many semi-trucks travel across certain bridges each day or if a second turn lane would help improve safety and traffic flow through a busy intersection. It can also spotlight what areas may be ideal when planning new highway exits, commercial business districts, and shopping districts.
When agencies share this type of data, our communities benefit. It also makes it easier to plan and budget for scheduled maintenance, alerting the public to potential road or lane closures using variable messaging signs (VMS).
4. Create Projections for Road Improvement Closures
Vehicle count and classification data can play an important role in how projections for road improvement closures are determined. Traffic data identifies a variety of needs and highlights roadway segments whose heavy usage creates more wear and tear. Knowing that these areas have a consistently high traffic count makes it easier for agencies to plan, budget, and implement needed closures for improvements without causing stress and roadway congestion for the community.
Kustom Products to Assist With Traffic Data Collection
Look to Kustom Signals for products designed to assist with traffic data collection.
For raw data on speed patterns, the StealthStat II is a highly effective tool for converting traffic analysis in a targeted area. This compact system is easy to install and features our SMARTstat Analysis Software. Not only can it be used to determine peak roadway usage times, but it can also verify speeding complaints and be used as a tool to help determine when officers are needed for traffic enforcement deployment.
Our RADAR speed and messaging trailers offer traffic data capabilities that can be used to help promote speed awareness and increase road safety in a community. SMART trailers are easy to use and set up, making them the ideal product for roadway segments that have a high accident ratio or areas where speed studies are needed.
Keep in mind that traffic data collected with RADAR feedback is going to be skewed down due to warning motorists of high speeds. Comparing the radar sign data to the stealth data collection is a great way to measure the effectiveness of your speed awareness campaigns.
The ProLaser4 is our high-performance handheld LIDAR with Event Recall and a Display Lock designed to ensure that measurements are not lost. Its TrafficTrak Android app is ideal for collecting statistics for reports and traffic studies.
Traffic data collection is essential as agencies work to maintain and enhance public safety while managing traffic flow, and determining areas of improvement. For more information and quotes on speed awareness and traffic data collection products from Kustom Signals, contact us today.