Research Studies & Reports
DMV’s Research & Development Branch has been conducting research and producing studies and reports since the 1950s. Research & Development reports help DMV to measure the impact of new laws on making drivers safer. We also identify areas where we can improve our processes, explore new approaches to solving existing problems, and branch out into new opportunities to serve you better.
Studies & Reports Sections
Studies and reports are assigned to a Section that best describes the type of report. Click on a section title below to see a short description.
I. Driver Education & Training Studies
II. Driver Licensing Screening Studies
III. Studies on Improvement and Control of Deviant Drivers
IV. Basic Research & Methodological Studies: Driver Performance, Accident Etiology, Prediction Models, and Actuarial Applications
V. Driver Licensing / Control Systems & Safety Management Studies
VI. Studies on Special Driver Populations
VII. Miscellaneous Studies & Reports
Request printed copies of studies and reports by mail at:
Departamento de Vehículos Motorizados
Research and Development Branch
2415 1st Ave. Mail Station: F-126
Sacramento, CA 95818
(916) 914-8125
Note Please include the report number, the number of copies requested, and your name, address, and phone number.
| Report ID | Date Published | Title | Section | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 73.1 | 1980/ 02 |
Executive Summary of Development of a Provisional Licensing Program for New California DriversTo examine the feasibility of provisional licensing procedures for new California drivers and to analyze potential program components. |
II | |
| 74 | 1980/ 04 |
Application of Audio-Visual Presentation and Various Feedback Methods to Drivers License Testing: An Evaluation of Learning EffectsTo develop and demonstrate the effectiveness of an audio-visual driver's license testing program. |
II | |
| IM1 | 1993/ 09 |
Pilot of the Driving Performance EvaluationTo determine the consistency of the test examiners in scoring the Driving Performance Evaluation (DPE) drive test. |
II | |
| NRN007 | 1983/ 06 |
Pilot Test of the Written Words and Phrases TestTo evaluate the written Words and Phrases Test (DL-140) and provide test and item statistics. |
II | |
| NRN008 | 1983/ 07 |
Evaluation of Ambulance Driver Knowledge TestTo evaluate the Ambulance Driver Examination (DL-5J) and to provide test and item statistics. |
II | |
| NRN017 | 1994/ 04 |
Class C Drive Test Baseline Study: Preliminary ReportTo obtain descriptive statistics on 30 DMV field offices in order to select six representative sites for a follow-up evaluation of the reliability of the current Class C drive test. |
II | |
| 116 | 1988/ 12 |
An Evaluation of the Traffic Safety Impact of Provisional LicensingTo evaluate the traffic safety impact of California's Provisional Driver License Program. The primary goal of the program is to reduce the rate of traffic accidents and traffic violations involving 15- through 17-year-olds in California. |
II | |
| 173 | 1998/ 01 |
EVALUATION OF THE CLASS C DRIVER LICENSE WRITTEN KNOWLEDGE TESTSThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the English DL 5 (Rev. 3/96), Spanish DL 5 (Rev. 7/95), and English DL 5T (Rev. 3/96) driver written license tests. Specifically, the study assessed the fail rate, mean number of items missed, and internal-consistency reliability for each test form, as well as the pass rate, percentage of applicants selecting each answer choice, and item-total correlation for each item on each test form. |
II | |
| 174 | 1998/ 03 |
EVALUATION OF THE REDESIGNED DL 44 DRIVER LICENSE APPLICATION FORMThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the redesigned DL 44 (Rev. 6/97) driver license application form. The Business Process Reengineering team revised the DL 44 to make it more user friendly, simplify the form’s language, and remove redundant or unneeded information. One of the changes was to combine the two vision and physical/mental (P/M) condition questions into a single question on the revised DL 44. The purpose of the current study was to assess whether the percentage of applicants self-reporting P/M conditions that could affect their ability to drive safely was reduced by combining the vision disorder and P/M condition questions into one question on the redesigned form. |
II | |
| 182 | 1999/ 03 |
EVALUATION OF THE CLASS C DRIVER LICENSE WRITTEN KNOWLEDGE TESTSThis report presents the results of an evaluation of the English DL 5 (Rev. 10/98), Spanish DL 5 (Rev. 5/98), and English DL 5T (Rev. 8/98) Class C license written knowledge examinations. Specifically, the study assessed the fail rate, mean number of errors, and internal-consistency reliability for each test form, as well as the pass rate, percentage of applicants selecting each answer choice, and item-total correlation for each item on each test form for the English tests. Also presented is an assessment of the randomness of the answer choice assignment for the English DL 5. |
II |