Have you ever wonder why or how engineers work just to make sure that traffic jams and traffic accidents are eliminated? The duties of a traffic engineer may look easy to do but knowing what they really do will make us appreciate their job.
Who are traffic engineers?
Over time people who own and operate cars increase rapidly. This has resulted in traffic road issues and increased concern on finding ways to better use the existing road system. Traffic engineers promote safe traffic conditions by planning, designing, examining road conditions and giving roadway solution that will result to smooth and efficient traffic flow. They apply engineering principles that help solve transportation problems by considering different factors.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Perform inspection and field surveys
- Make recommendations for the improvement of traffic conditions
- Install and maintenance of traffic control signs and devices
- Recommend traffic safety enhancement projects
- Analyze accident statistics
- Study parking and traffic congestion issues
- Examine how equipment or road alterations could improve traffic conditions
- Propose changes to develop most efficient methods to ease traffic flow
- Monitor the operation of the road system
- Analyze the impact of transportation engineering projects
- Plan construction of highway and road infrastructures that promote efficient traffic flow
- Supervise road construction projects to assure compliance with city guidelines
Education
The educational requirements for traffic engineer position varies. Most jobs require a college degree in civil engineering, urban planning, or a related field.
Skills Required
- Strong analytical and computation skills to handle data for analyzing road traffic conditions
- Computer skills and ability to design engineering projects.
- Excellent comprehension
- Must have a strong understanding of road safety laws
- Knowledge of the principles and practices of Traffic Engineering
- Effectively communicate concerns, solution and proposals with the public, consultants and private entity
- Understanding of social, cultural and technological factors that may result to road congestion.
- Extremely detail-oriented