Creating a driving profile for older adults using GPS devices and naturalistic driving methodology

Abstract

Road tests and driving simulators are most Background/Objectives commonly used in research studies and clinical evaluations of older drivers. We adapted an existing, commercial, off-the-shelf, in-vehicle device for naturalistic, longitudinal research to better understand daily driving behavior in older drivers.: The Azuga G2 Tracking Device was installed in each participant's Design vehicle, and we collected data over 5 months (speed, latitude/longitude) every 30-seconds when the vehicle was driven.: The Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Washington Setting University School of Medicine.: Five individuals enrolled in a larger, longitudinal study assessing Participants preclinical Alzheimer disease and driving performance. Participants were aged 65+ years and had normal cognition.: Spatial components included Primary Location(s), Driving Measurements Areas, Mean Centers and Unique Destinations. Temporal components included number of trips taken during different times of the day. Behavioral components included number of hard braking, speeding and sudden acceleration events.: Individual 30-second observations, each comprising one Methods breadcrumb, and trip-level data were collected and analyzed in R and ArcGIS.: Primary locations were confirmed to be 100% accurate when Results compared to known addresses. Based on the locations of the breadcrumbs, we were able to successfully identify frequently visited locations and general travel patterns. Based on the reported time from the breadcrumbs, we could assess number of trips driven in daylight vs. night. Data on additional events while driving allowed us to compute the number of adverse driving alerts over the course of the 5-month period.: This pilot study indicated that Driving Profiles for older adults Conclusions can be created and compared month-to-month or year-to-year, allowing

A Naturalistic Study of Driving Behavior in Older Adults and Preclinical Alzheimer Disease: A Pilot Study

“…In our research program, we labeled this process as the driving real-world in-vehicle evaluation system (DRIVES). The methodology and creation of a driving profile using the DRIVES chip has been published (Babulal et al, 2016a; Babulal et al, 2016b). Data on driving behavior were collected from July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2016, for each participant across the continental United States.…”

“…However, little is known about the driving behaviors of participants with and without preclinical AD in naturalistic settings. Our prior work adapted and modified a commercial, off-the-shelf, in-vehicle device for capturing daily driving behavior (Babulal et al, 2016a; Babulal et al, 2016b). The objective of this pilot study was to obtain driving behavior data in a small sample of older adults with and without preclinical AD for use in conducting power analyses to determine the sample size for a larger study.…”

Preclinical Alzheimer's disease and longitudinal driving decline

“…Driving research has therefore increasingly shifted focus to naturalistic outcomes using global positioning systems (GPS) methodologies. 42–44 It is likely that driving measures such as these will improve objectivity, replication, and generalizability to the real world.…”

Passive Assessment of Routine Driving with Unobtrusive Sensors: A New Approach for Identifying and Monitoring Functional Level in Normal Aging and Mild Cognitive Impairment

“…Another group has used commercially available, off the shelf devices to determine the optimal time interval needed to obtain accurate data on an actual route driven with a small sample of older adults [26]. The latter group used the same sensor technology to derive spatial, temporal, and behavioral measures of driving for 5 cognitively normal older adults over 5 months [27]. Unobtrusive vehicle tracking devices may offer more objective measures of real-world driving that are needed to advance the assessment of clinically meaningful functioning in aging and dementia research.…”