Film Locations Glossary
Traffic control
What is traffic control?
Also called traffic management.
Traffic control is the management of vehicle movement around a location, ranging from a couple of certified flaggers to a full traffic management plan with diversions and police support.
What is required is set by the permit and the roads authority, not by the production, and certified personnel have to be booked well ahead. It is a recurring cost on every exterior shot near a live road.
Example
A shot beside a live road needs two certified flaggers; a shot across it needs a traffic management plan, signage, and police. Certified personnel book out weeks ahead, so the requirement is established at scout stage.
Figures are illustrative, chosen to show the mechanics rather than to quote market rates.
Where you'll see it
Set by the permit and the roads authority, and a recurring cost on every exterior near live traffic.
Common mistake
Booking certified personnel late. Flaggers and officers book out weeks ahead, and the requirement is knowable from the scout rather than the week of the shoot.
Related questions
- What traffic control does filming need?
- Anything from a pair of certified flaggers beside a live road to a full traffic management plan with diversions and police for a closure.
- Who sets the traffic control requirement?
- The permit and the roads authority, based on the location and activity, not the production's assessment of what is necessary.