Validation of an electronic device for measuring driving exposure

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Transportation Safety
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Assessing driving exposure in older adults is crucial for understanding crash risks.
• Traditional self-report methods for driving data are often inaccurate.
• On-board diagnostic systems offer a potential solution for objective data collection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the CarChip, an on-board diagnostic system, for collecting driving exposure data in older drivers.
• To validate the accuracy of the CarChip against GPS technology for measuring driving parameters.

Main Methods:

• Twenty drivers aged 60-86 participated in the study.
• Driving exposure data collected using CarChip and GPS on a driving course.
• CarChip data compared to GPS for velocity and distance accuracy.
• Weekly driving data collected via CarChip and surveys.

Main Results:

• CarChip provides valid distance measurements.
• CarChip recorded slightly lower maximum velocities compared to GPS.
• Retrospective self-reported weekly driving distances were found to be inaccurate.

Conclusions:

• On-board diagnostic systems like CarChip can reliably capture detailed driving exposure information.
• This technology is valuable for research into older driver safety, crash rates, and driving behavior.