---
title: Counterflow Traffic
slug: enterprise/counterflow-traffic
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-04-08T13:11:16.426Z
---

# How it works

The Counterflow Traffic rule generates an event when a vehicle travels in the wrong direction — against the flow you have defined as normal for the scene. Typical uses include one-way roads, highway ramps, car-park lanes, and any setting where movement against the expected direction should raise an alert.

# How it detects

You define the expected (allowed) direction of travel for the area. IRIS+ tracks each vehicle's path, and when a vehicle moves in the opposite direction, the rule generates an event with a short clip and a bounding box around the vehicle.

The rule applies to vehicles (car, van, bus, truck) and two-wheeled vehicles (motorcycle, bicycle). It is not currently available for people.

A **sensitivity** setting controls how readily counterflow movement is flagged. Normal sensitivity is the recommended default; higher sensitivity increases detections but can raise more false alerts. In quiet scenes, false positives can come from reflections, water, lights, or moving foliage, and sensitivity / alarm-filtering settings help suppress these.

# How to set up

1. Open the camera you want to configure and add a new rule.
2. Select **Counterflow Traffic** as the rule type.
3. Define the **expected direction of travel** for the monitored area.
4. Select the **target types** (vehicles and/or two-wheeled vehicles).
5. Set the **sensitivity** (start with Normal).
6. Save and activate the rule. It can run alongside other rules on the same
   camera and be scheduled to active hours.

# What to expect

- An event is generated each time a vehicle moves against the defined direction.
- Every event includes an event clip and a bounding box around the vehicle.
- The rule currently detects vehicles and two-wheeled vehicles only — it does not
  detect people going the wrong way (for example on escalators or through
  exit-only doors).
- In low-traffic scenes, reflections and lighting can cause false alerts; tuning
  sensitivity and alarm filtering helps reduce them.