Devon County Council collects traffic data at hundreds of locations every year to understand how people and vehicles use our roads. This information helps us make decisions about road safety, transport planning, and future improvements to the network (excludes Plymouth, Torbay, and major trunk roads managed by National Highways such as the M5, A38, and A30).
Why do we collect traffic data?
- Provide evidence for local transport plans and area strategies.
- Provide evidence for transportation planning schemes.
- Monitoring traffic levels across Devon.
- Building traffic models for future planning.
- Provide traffic data for road safety initiatives.
- Traffic engineering and congestion management.
- Validate planning applications and development assessments.
- Response to public and stakeholder requests (for example, FOI, consultants, parish councils)
Who uses this data?
- Residents and community groups.
- Businesses and developers.
- Consultants and charities (for example, Sustrans)
- Elected members and parish councils
- Internal teams (Engineering, Planning, Highways)
Types of traffic surveys
Automatic Traffic Counters (ATCs)
Installed at permanent locations across A and B roads and busy unclassified roads. Provide continuous or periodic data on traffic volume, vehicle classification, speed, and cyclist volume.
Manual Classified Counts (MCCs)
Carried out on an ad-hoc basis using enumerators or video cameras. Normally used to gather 7am to 7pm link/turning counts as well as pedestrian and cycle survey data. Surveyors or cameras record vehicle types and movements at junctions or road links. Data includes cars, vans, buses, HGVs, cyclists, and pedestrians.
Speed detection radar surveys (SDR)
Used to measure the speed and volume of vehicles at specific locations. Helps identify speeding issues, assess compliance with speed limits, and inform decisions on traffic calming measures. Surveys are typically carried out using temporary radar equipment placed at roadside locations.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR)
We also use ANPR for journey time and origin-destination studies.
Pedestrian and cycle movements
Monitoring pedestrian and cycle movements provides insight into active travel trends. This information supports the development of safer walking and cycling routes and helps promote sustainable transport options.
Queue length
Queue length surveys measure the extent of vehicle queues at junctions or along busy routes. This data is used to identify congestion hotspots and evaluate the effectiveness of traffic management strategies.
Accessing traffic data
To see data from 2022 up to today, search our data map. The data will be available under the ‘ADT’ heading when you click on the dot on the map. Map will be available from January 2026 onwards.
You can request traffic data if you need more information or historic data (time periods, classification, speed and prior 2022). Please note: charges will apply depending on the type and complexity of the data. Our current charges are here.
If there is no data available in your area of interest, and you intend to undertake a survey yourself or ask others to undertake it for you, the owner of the equipment or installer will need to obtain a licence, and an application form can be found here. Please note that unlicensed surveys and equipment will be removed from site.
Privacy and GDPR
If any personal data is collected from you, it will be processed in accordance with our privacy notice.
All traffic data that we collect is anonymised and is non-identifiable.