Traffic video planning resource
Traffic Video Recording & Submission Standard for Manual Traffic Counting
A practical planning reference for clients and project teams who intend to submit recorded footage for human-led traffic counting. It helps make the agreed scope observable before processing begins.
This is not a field-installation specification, legal standard or guarantee that any particular footage is suitable. Final requirements depend on the agreed brief, site conditions, permissions and method.
Purpose
Start with what the count must show.
The useful question is not simply whether a camera recorded a junction. It is whether the recording makes the agreed traffic movements, lanes, classifications, pedestrian or cyclist areas and time periods visible enough for a reviewer to apply the brief consistently. Agree those elements before recording or transferring files.
1. Define
Locations, time basis, study type, count intervals and required dimensions.
2. Test
Coverage, visibility, continuity and lighting against that agreed scope.
3. Index
Connect each file to its site, camera view, time range and known exception.
Camera positioning
Make every required decision area visible.
Choose a stable, permitted viewpoint that gives the reviewer a continuous view of the agreed count line or decision area. Before the study period, use a short test recording to confirm that vehicles can be followed through the movement being counted, lanes are distinguishable where required and pedestrian or cyclist areas are not lost outside the frame.
- Record the camera location, direction and any reference features in a site/viewpoint index.
- Keep the frame stable; avoid a changing zoom, periodic pan or foreground object that blocks the count point.
- Check that crosswalks, cycle facilities and footway crossings are visible if they are part of the agreed study.
- Treat privacy, permissions and safety constraints as design inputs, not an afterthought.
Intersection and roundabout coverage
Do not infer a movement that the frame cannot prove.
At intersections, the frame should make the relevant entry, exit and movement relationship clear. At roundabouts, an entry count alone may not establish an exit movement; the circulating path and exit must be visible when the brief requires turning-movement detail. Where the scope cannot be observed in one view, plan another synchronized view or agree a narrower study scope.
Visibility and occlusion
Test the conditions that create doubt.
A clean frame at setup may become difficult once queues form, shadows move or pedestrians gather. Review a short sample from the relevant time of day and retain a note of anything that can affect interpretation. If an agreed class, lane, movement or vulnerable road-user area cannot be seen reliably, raise it before the full handover rather than asking a reviewer to guess.
| Check | What a reviewer needs to see | Escalate when |
|---|---|---|
| Lane visibility | The relevant lane boundary, queue position or vehicle path. | A lane assignment would be inferred from a concealed approach. |
| Pedestrians and cyclists | The agreed crossing, facility or conflict area. | A person enters, exits or crosses outside the frame. |
| Vehicle classes | The visual features needed for the agreed class dictionary. | Distance, angle or image quality creates repeatable ambiguity. |
| Occlusion | Whether a road user can be followed through the decision point. | A fixed or temporary obstruction hides that point. |
Continuity, time and lighting
Make the observation window auditable.
Time basis and timestamps
State the timezone used in the brief and use it consistently in the file index. Visible timestamps can be helpful, but a timestamp alone does not resolve a wrong timezone, drift or a missing portion of video. Note the recording start/end time and any known interruption.
Continuous coverage
Cover the agreed observation period without unexplained gaps. If files are split, identify their sequence and boundaries. If more than one camera is needed, establish a shared time reference and describe any overlap or gap.
Lighting and weather
Check the actual expected conditions: low light, backlight, headlight flare, rain, fog, reflections and moving shadow can change readable detail. Record material limitations rather than treating them as invisible.
Video quality
Use a format and image quality that preserve the details required by the agreed scope. Confirm that playback is complete, orientation is correct and compression or motion blur does not remove the lane, movement or classification information needed.
File organization and submission
Hand over footage with a usable index.
Use one project folder with a clear location structure. A simple file naming convention can include the project identifier, site or camera identifier, local date, start time and sequence. The naming method is less important than consistency and a separate index that explains every submitted file.
Recommended folder logic
- 01_scope — agreed brief, study locations and count rules.
- 02_footage — grouped by site and camera/viewpoint.
- 03_index — file, site, view, local start/end time and exceptions.
- 04_notes — access, weather, events or known coverage limitations.
Before transfer
- Open a representative file from each camera and time period.
- Check that files play from start to end and are not password-locked unexpectedly.
- Confirm there are no duplicate, missing or mislabelled time segments.
- Use the agreed secure transfer method; do not send public links unless approved.
Common failure modes
Identify limits before processing begins.
Blind approach or exit
One or more required arms, turn paths or crossings fall outside the frame. Reposition or use an additional synchronized view before the study window begins.
Occlusion at the decision point
Trees, signs, parked vehicles, queueing or a camera housing conceal the vehicle or road user at the count line. Test the busiest expected period, not only a quiet preview.
Unreadable movement or class
Perspective, motion blur, compression or glare makes a required lane, movement or class ambiguous. Confirm the scope is still observable before committing to the full recording.
Time discontinuity
A file starts late, stops early, skips, overlaps without explanation, or uses a clock that cannot be related to the brief. Preserve continuity and document known gaps.
Unclear file identity
Generic, duplicated or reordered file names disconnect footage from its camera and time interval. Provide a simple index with location, viewpoint and start/end time.
Lighting change
Low light, direct sun, headlight flare, rain or shadow can change what is visible. Include representative checks for the planned observation period and record relevant limitations.
Client submission checklist
What to provide with footage.
Supply enough project context for a manual reviewer to understand the requested result without filling gaps with assumptions. The final list should always follow the approved brief.
- 1Project name or reference and a named technical contact.
- 2Site list, map or plan, and a camera/viewpoint index.
- 3Study type, required movements, lanes, classes, pedestrian/cyclist rules and count intervals.
- 4Recording dates, local timezone and planned observation window.
- 5A file index with site, camera, file name, sequence and local start/end time.
- 6Known gaps, camera moves, unusual site events, weather or visibility limitations.
- 7Required deliverable format, templates, aggregation rules and deadline.
- 8The approved secure-transfer method and any access or confidentiality instructions.
Scope and QA/QC
A submission check is the start of review, not a promise of a result.
A project team can check that files, locations, time coverage and agreed context have been received. The technical team can then determine whether the supplied material supports the approved count method, raise exceptions and apply the agreed QA/QC process. This separation keeps the record transparent when a limitation needs a client decision.