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Updated: Mar 12, 2026
Driving Simulation in the Clinic: Testing Visual Exploratory Behavior in Daily Life Activities in Patients with Visual Field Defects
Published on: September 18, 2012
A validation study comparing self-reported travel diaries and objective data obtained from in-vehicle monitoring
Seraina Agramunt1, Lynn Meuleners1, Kyle Chi Chow1
1Curtin-Monash Accident Research Centre (C-MARC), Curtin University, Perth, Australia; Eye & Vision Epidemiology Research (EVER) Group, Perth, Australia.
Background:
Advances in technology have made it possible to examine real-world driving using naturalistic data obtained from in-vehicle monitoring devices. These devices overcome the weaknesses of self-report methods and can provide comprehensive insights into driving exposure, habits and practices of older drivers.
Aim:
The aim of this study is to compare self-reported and objectively measured driving exposure, habits and practices using a travel diary and an in-vehicle driver monitoring device in older drivers with bilateral cataract.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was undertaken. Forty seven participants aged 58-89 years old (mean=74.1; S.D.=7.73) were recruited from three eye clinics over a one year period. Data collection consisted of a cognitive test, a researcher-administered questionnaire, a travel diary and an in-vehicle monitoring device. Participants' driving exposure and patterns were recorded for one week using in-vehicle monitoring devices. They also completed a travel diary each time they drove a motor vehicle as the driver. Paired t-tests were used to examine differences/agreement between the two instruments under different driving circumstances.
Results:
The data from the older drivers' travel diaries significantly underestimated the number of overall trips (p<0.001), weekend trips (p=0.002) and trips during peak hour (p=0.004). The travel diaries also significantly overestimated overall driving duration (p<0.001) and weekend driving duration (p=0.003), compared to the data obtained from the in-vehicle monitoring devices. No significant differences were found between instruments for kilometres travelled under any of the driving circumstances.
Conclusions:
The results of this study found that relying solely on self-reported travel diaries to assess driving outcomes may not be accurate, particularly for estimates of the number of trips made and duration of trips. The clear advantages of using in-vehicle monitoring devices over travel diaries to monitor driving habits and exposure among an older population are evident.
