AI exposure: Traffic Technicians
Conduct field studies to determine traffic volume, speed, effectiveness of signals, adequacy of lighting, and other factors influencing traffic conditions, under direction of traffic engineer.
Reading this score
computedTraffic Technicians sits in the top 4% of every occupation measured. 62.4% of what this job consists of, weighted by how important each task is to the role, is work current AI systems can produce with little standing in the way. Very few occupations score this high. The ones that do tend to share a trait: the output is a document, a calculation or a message, and nobody has to be in a particular room for it to count.
No single friction dominates this occupation. The strongest is context at 1.39 out of 3 and the weakest is presence at 0.48, which is a narrow spread. Where nothing structural stands in the way, exposure tracks capability almost directly, and capability is the thing that changes every quarter.
The most exposed thing this job does is Study factors affecting traffic conditions, at 86.7%. The least is Place and secure automatic counters, at 0.0%. A gap of 86.7% between two parts of the same job is the reason this index publishes at task level. An occupation-wide number would have hidden both.
Within transportation and material moving occupations, this one is more exposed than most. The median across the 52 roles in the group is 24.2%, and only 0 of them score higher than this. Occupational families are not uniform, and the spread inside them is often wider than the gap between them.
What would move this score. Of 22 tasks, 16 are currently banded exposed, 1 assisted and 5 untouched. For that distribution to shift materially would take capability alone, since there is little structural friction here to slow adoption once a system can do the work. The score is re-computed every quarter against a fresh capability reference, and the change is published rather than quietly applied.
Task by task
22 tasks, O*NET 31.0| Task | Exposed | Assisted | Untouched | Importance | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study factors affecting traffic conditions, such as lighting or sign and marking visibility, to assess their effectiveness. | 86.7% | 13.3% | 0.0% | 4.03 | exposed |
| Analyze data related to traffic flow, accident rates, or proposed development to determine the most efficient methods to expedite traffic flow. | 86.7% | 13.3% | 0.0% | 3.89 | exposed |
| Visit development or work sites to determine projects' effect on traffic and the adequacy of traffic control and safety plans or to suggest traffic control measures. | 86.7% | 13.3% | 0.0% | 3.77 | exposed |
| Study traffic delays by noting times of delays, the numbers of vehicles affected, and vehicle speed through the delay area. | 86.7% | 13.3% | 0.0% | 3.40 | exposed |
| Prepare graphs, charts, diagrams, or other aids to illustrate observations or conclusions. | 86.7% | 13.3% | 0.0% | 3.40 | exposed |
| Compute time settings for traffic signals or speed restrictions, using standard formulas. | 86.7% | 13.3% | 0.0% | 3.45 | exposed |
| Operate counters and record data to assess the volume, type, and movement of vehicular or pedestrian traffic at specified times. | 83.3% | 16.7% | 0.0% | 3.73 | exposed |
| Interact with the public to answer traffic-related questions, respond to complaints or requests, or discuss traffic control ordinances, plans, policies, or procedures. | 80.0% | 20.0% | 0.0% | 4.01 | exposed |
| Prepare work orders for repair, maintenance, or changes in traffic systems. | 80.0% | 20.0% | 0.0% | 3.94 | exposed |
| Provide traffic information, such as road conditions, to the public. | 80.0% | 20.0% | 0.0% | 3.62 | exposed |
| Gather and compile data from hand count sheets, machine count tapes, or radar speed checks and code data for computer input. | 73.3% | 26.7% | 0.0% | 3.53 | exposed |
| Measure and record the speed of vehicular traffic, using electrical timing devices or radar equipment. | 55.4% | 32.1% | 12.5% | 3.61 | exposed |
| Prepare drawings of proposed signal installations or other control devices, using drafting instruments or computer-automated drafting equipment. | 55.0% | 20.0% | 25.0% | 4.09 | exposed |
| Review traffic control or barricade plans to issue permits for parades or other special events or for construction work that affects rights of way, providing assistance with plan preparation or revision, as necessary. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.53 | exposed |
| Establish procedures for street closures or for repair or construction projects. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.52 | exposed |
| Plan, design, and improve components of traffic control systems to accommodate current or projected traffic and to increase usability and efficiency. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.94 | exposed |
| Time stoplights or other delays, using stopwatches. | 35.0% | 40.0% | 25.0% | 2.90 | assisted |
| Provide technical supervision regarding traffic control devices to other traffic technicians or laborers. | 10.0% | 15.0% | 75.0% | 3.37 | untouched |
| Monitor street or utility projects for compliance to traffic control permit conditions. | 8.3% | 16.7% | 75.0% | 3.26 | untouched |
| Maintain or make minor adjustments or field repairs to equipment used in surveys, including the replacement of parts on traffic data gathering devices. | 6.7% | 5.8% | 87.5% | 3.61 | untouched |
| Lay out pavement markings for striping crews. | 0.0% | 0.0% | 100.0% | 3.70 | untouched |
| Place and secure automatic counters, using power tools, and retrieve counters after counting periods end. | 0.0% | 0.0% | 100.0% | 3.56 | untouched |
Task text and importance ratings sourced from O*NET 31.0. Shares computed. The occupation score is the importance-weighted mean.
Where the score comes from
judgedEvery task is scored through the standardised work activities it maps to. These are this occupation’s averages on the six rubric dimensions. Capability is what AI can do; the other five are what stands in the way.
| Dimension | Mean | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Capability | 2.95 | 0-4 |
| Embodiment | 0.82 | 0-3 |
| Presence | 0.48 | 0-3 |
| Accountability | 0.61 | 0-3 |
| Context | 1.39 | 0-3 |
| Verification cost | 1.11 | 0-3 |
What this means in practice
Where most of a role's weighted task load is exposed, the work that survives is usually the part of the job nobody wrote into the job description: deciding what should be produced rather than producing it, and being answerable for the result. The tasks lowest on this page are a better guide to where to spend your time than any general advice about the future of work.
Occupations either side of this one
The four closest scores in the same occupational family, then the four closest anywhere in the index.
Read this carefully. Exposure is not displacement. A high score means current AI systems can produce this work, not that anyone will stop paying a person to do it. Adoption depends on economics, regulation and inertia that this index deliberately does not model. How the score is built.