A crosswalk photograph taken after a pedestrian crash may show poles, signal heads, markings, and pushbuttons, but it does not show which indication was displayed at the relevant second. Signal phases change, clocks can disagree, timing plans can vary by time or operating mode, and video may be overwritten. The record must connect the physical intersection to the operative timing and event evidence.

A signal-timing record should identify the intersection and jurisdiction, pedestrian display, vehicle phase, pushbutton and accessibility features, governing timing plan, maintenance and event records, video clocks, witness observations, and every known time offset.

Identify the intersection and responsible agency

  • Street names, direction of travel, approach, crosswalk, corner, jurisdiction, route ownership, traffic-signal owner, operator, maintainer, and records custodian
  • Signal heads, pedestrian indications, countdown displays, pushbuttons, accessible pedestrian signals, curb ramps, markings, signs, medians, turn lanes, detection equipment, and cabinet or controller identifiers
  • Temporary work zone, police control, flashing mode, outage, reported malfunction, damage, maintenance activity, special event, or other operating condition
  • Overall photographs, each approach and crossing, close images of devices and labels, orientation, original metadata, and an image index

Record what each witness actually observed

  • Where the witness was, viewing direction, obstructions, distance, lighting, duration, and whether the witness observed the pedestrian display, vehicle signal, traffic movement, pedestrian movement, or only part of the sequence
  • Exact words or symbols described, color and location if relevant, whether a countdown was visible, any audible or vibrotactile indication, and the witness’s time reference
  • Whether the pedestrian pressed a button, began crossing, continued crossing, stopped, changed pace, or was already within the roadway, limited to first-hand observation
  • Uncertainty, inconsistent account, changed memory, second-hand statement, translation, recording, note, or later interview kept with its source and date

G.S. 20-172 addresses pedestrian-control signals and distinguishes beginning a crossing from completing one after the indication changes. G.S. 20-173 addresses crosswalk right-of-way where traffic-control signals are not in place or operation. The applicable rule depends on the actual intersection, devices, operation, movement, and evidence.

Request the operative timing and maintenance records

  • Controller and cabinet identity, timing plan, phase sequence, pedestrian interval, clearance interval, recall or actuation settings, coordination, time-of-day plan, and effective date
  • Pushbutton and detector records, accessible-signal settings, alarms, conflict monitor, event or high-resolution log if maintained, system status, outage, complaint, work order, inspection, repair, and change history
  • Plan version, source system, export date, custodian explanation, field labels, units, clock source, retention period, and whether the record reflects design, configuration, operation, or a later condition
  • Prompt written request identifying the exact crossing, date, bounded time window, record types, native format, metadata, and preservation need

The Federal Highway Administration publishes the 11th Edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, including standards and guidance for highway traffic signals and pedestrian-control features. A manual provision should be tied to the device, jurisdiction, adoption history, and date at issue; it should not be used to assume what a controller displayed during a particular event.

Align every video and clock

  • Business, residential, transit, traffic-management, vehicle, dashboard, body-camera, phone, or other video source; owner; custodian; retention; and request history
  • Native file, player or codec, file metadata, export settings, edits, frame rate, dropped frames, and a read-only preservation copy
  • Displayed timestamp, system clock, time zone, daylight-saving setting, network synchronization, known drift, offset test, reference event, and calculation method
  • Common events used for alignment, such as a signal transition, vehicle movement, lighting change, audio event, emergency response, or another occurrence visible in more than one source

Separate timing evidence from a conclusion about responsibility

Signal plans, logs, video, witness observations, vehicle movements, sight lines, and pedestrian movements should be compared on one chronology. A missing log or uncertain clock should be recorded as a limitation. North Carolina Rule of Evidence 901 addresses authentication or identification; the person offering a file or system output may need a foundation showing what it is and how it was produced.

The related guide to building a pedestrian visibility record after a Charlotte crash covers lighting, sight lines, obstructions, clothing, and detection. This page owns the separate signal display, timing, controller, maintenance, and clock-alignment record.

Rosensteel Fleishman Car Accident & Injury Lawyers provides information about Charlotte pedestrian-accident claims. The signal question should be reviewed from the actual devices, operating records, observations, and synchronized sources rather than a later photograph alone.

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