What’s the Purpose of That Little White Device on the Traffic Light Pole?

or pavement-based vehicle detectors.

The choice depends on several factors:

Traffic volume

Road layout

Number of lanes

Pedestrian activity

Intersection complexity

Local transportation budgets

Maintenance requirements

The technology available to the road authority

A busy urban intersection may need more detection equipment than a quiet residential crossing.

That’s why you might see several devices at one intersection and almost none at another.

What Is the Difference Between a Traffic Sensor and a Traffic Camera?
Although they can look similar, their functions may be quite different.

Feature Traffic sensor Traffic camera
Main purpose Detect vehicles or movement Capture video or images