Understanding Trip Misreporting Behavior Using Global Positioning System-Assisted Household Travel Survey

Abstract

Trip misreporting has been a persistent and well-known problem with household travel surveys. Global Positioning System (GPS)-based prompted-recall method provides the opportunity to capture reliable and accurate travel information from the respondents. By comparing the GPS sample with the diary sample, this chapter investigates the pattern and magnitude of trip misreporting behavior, with a focus on shopping and discretionary tours within 15-minutes trip distance. Econometric models are developed to account for trip misreporting in tour frequency models by introducing a sample-indicator variable. The interaction effects of the sample-indicator variable with various personal and household variables are tested, which reflect the influences of these personal and household attributes on trip misreporting behavior. A number of personal and household characteristics showed significant impacts on misreporting, including driver license status, race, person type, household type, household income, and number of household vehicles.

Implications of survey methods on travel and non-travel activities: A comparison of the Austrian national travel survey and an innovative mobility-activity-expenditure diary (MAED)

“…Comparisons of GPS surveys with HTS reveal a similar pattern (Jin et al 2014, Safi et al 2017). Trip numbers are on average higher in GPS surveys compared to traditional HTS, particularly for discretionary trips.…”