Recent information on the under-reporting of trips in household travel surveys

As far back as the 1970s there was evidence of under-reporting of household travel in the travel diaries obtained in household surveys. In the past, such data was often collected by direct personal interview, but in recent years many household travel surveys in Australia and New Zealand have relied on self-completion questionnaires. It has been speculated that this more cost-effective survey method suffers from greater household travel under-reporting and the purpose of this paper is to discuss the magnitude of travel under-reporting from some recent household travel surveys, and to examine ways in which this under-reporting can be corrected. Various methods are used to establish the level of travel under-reporting and to correct for it, and these are fully explained. Some limitations in comparing household travel diary data with field traffic counts are highlighted, bearing in mind that comparisons of different data sets require them to be wholly consistent in the definition and coverage of the outcomes being compared. The paper ends with reflections on the implications of travel under-reporting for the balance that is sought in the design of household travel surveys between data quality, low cost and high response rates.

• Record URL:
  • http://atrf.info/papers/2009/2009_Ashley_Richardson_Young.pdf
• 
• Authors:
  • Ashley, D
  • Richardson, T
  • Young, D
• Conference:
  • Australasian Transport Research Forum (ATRF), 32nd, 2009, Auckland, New Zealand
• Publication Date: 2009-9

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 15p (session Wed 3C)
• Serial:
  • Volume: 32

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cost effectiveness; Households; Questionnaires; Research; Traffic counts; Travel behavior
• Geographic Terms: Australia; New Zealand
• ATRI Terms: Cost effectiveness; Household; Questionnaire; Research method; Traffic count; Travel behaviour
• Subject Areas: Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01381633
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Files: ATRI
• Created Date: Aug 22 2012 12:39PM