There are numerous fascinating areas of focus in civil engineering. Yet, one area in which I am becoming increasingly fascinated is traffic engineering. This branch of civil engineering entails the planning, geometric design, and operation of freeways, roads, and streets, as well as the related networks, network terminals, and natural relationships with existing forms of transportation. This provides for the secure, convenient, and efficient transportation of products and people from one location to another.
To solve traffic problems, transportation engineering employs a variety of factors, including psychology and design. In my view, it would have been sufficient just to install signaling systems, regulate speed limits or simply put up additional signaling systems.
My curiosity in this area stems from the fact that traffic engineering is comparable to the health profession with regards to protecting members of the public. Traffic engineering evaluates symptoms associated with the traffic environment and makes an appropriate diagnosis by initiating traffic counts, conducting incidents statistics and speed data, conditions of roads. Then appropriate actions can be taken (Roess et al., 24). Based on this information, traffic engineering helps to promote safety on the roads through the provision of conditions that are vital to the efficient and smooth flow of vehicles on the roads. From my experience, safety is paramount, and it creates an efficient flow of traffic. Disruption of the flow is the leading cause of accidents on highways.
So, the efficient flow of people and goods means both get to their destination on time and take part in economic activities that encourage the growth of the economy (Roess et al., 26). A traffic jam leads to loss of time, which is a vital resource on its own, meaning that transportation engineering is one of the areas that influence the growth of economy to a great extent.
Works CitedTop of Form
Roess, Roger P, et al. Traffic Engineering. Upper Saddle River, 2011. Bottom of Form
