5.2.2 Accuracy of Data
The traffic data used for sprayed seal designs should be as current as possible.
It is important to use a traffic count taken as close as possible to the location of the proposed sealing work. This particularly applies to rural roads connecting townships where the traffic counts are often taken at or near the town limits where the traffic volume is higher than elsewhere on the road. If traffic volumes provided are considered not representative, a traffic count should be determined for the site using automatic or manual traffic counts.
When the total count is considered representative, but the traffic distribution is uncertain, a site investigation should be conducted to provide a reliable estimate of traffic distribution for each lane. For example, this may be the case where heavy traffic does not travel predominantly in the left-hand lane as commonly accepted/observed due to interference from turning traffic, stop/start traffic, parking lanes etc., such as on roads through urban areas, rural towns and tourist areas.