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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 197 | 2005/ 09 |
DUI COUNTERMEASURES IN CALIFORNIA: WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN’T, WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LEGISLATIVE REFORMIn response to recent increases in driving-under-the-influence (DUI) crashes and fatalities in California, after years of decline, the California legislature (Senate Bill 776, Torlakson, 2001) mandated a review of scientific evidence on effective DUI countermeasures. As shown in this review, the following driver-based countermeasures have proven significantly effective in reducing alcohol-impaired driving: minimum drinking age laws, per se BAC laws, administrative per se license action laws, "Zero-tolerance" laws for youth, other licensing actions including restriction and probation, alcohol treatment, server intervention programs, house arrest in lieu of jail, lower per se BAC for repeat offenders, sobriety checkpoints, and public information and education. Effective vehicle-based countermeasures include vehicle impoundment, vehicle immobilization, and ignition interlock, while other countermeasures impacting alcohol-impaired driving include seat belts, graduated driver licensing, and alcoholic beverage control. Traditional DUI sanctions of fines and jail are shown to be among the least effective DUI countermeasures. Most importantly, there are four major initiatives which offer the potential for large-scale reductions in alcohol impaired driving, including new pharmaceutical treatments (naltrexone), increased alcoholic beverage control, reducing the contribution of on-premise drinking to the DUI problem, as well as prevention efforts focused on youth. There continues to be strong public support for anti-DUI efforts, including the raising of alcohol taxes, provided the funds are used against drunk driving. In general, prevention efforts, as opposed to further increased punishments, are seen as having a greater potential for future reductions in the incidence of DUI. |
V | |
| 217 | 2005/ 09 |
AN EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IGNITION INTERLOCK IN CALIFORNIAThis study is one of two studies of ignition interlock in California mandated by the California Legislature (AB 762). The first study, published in 2002, was a process evaluation that examined the degree to which ignition interlock has been implemented in California. This current study is an outcome evaluation that examines the effectiveness of ignition interlock in reducing alcohol-related crashes and convictions, and crashes overall (alcohol and nonalcohol). The results of the study show that interlock works for some offenders in some contexts, but not for all offenders in all situations. More specifically, ignition interlock devices work best when they are installed, although there is also some evidence that judicial orders to install an interlock are effective for repeat DUI offenders, even when not all offenders comply and install a device. California’s administrative program, where repeat DUI offenders install an interlock device in order to obtain restricted driving privileges, is also associated with reductions in subsequent DUI incidents. One group for whom ignition interlock orders do not appear effective is first DUI offenders with high blood alcohol levels. |
V | |
| 215 | 2005/ 09 |
Clearing A Road To Driving Fitness By Better Assessing Driving Wellness:California’s Three-Tier Driving-Centered Assessment System – SummaryReportThis report describes the final development and validation of an integrated three-tier system for assessing drivers’ degrees of driving wellness (degree of freedom from driving-relevant functional limitations) and driving fitness (degree to which a driver compensates for any such limitations while actually driving). Both driving wellness and driving fitness are assessed in a driving-centered manner. Assessment tools recommended for use in each tier are described, as is the selection of two decision points (cutpoints) which separate drivers into three categories: pass ("driving-well"), "somewhat functionally limited", and "extremely functionally limited." Compared to elder renewal license applicants who were assessed as somewhat functionally limited, elder renewals assessed as extremely functionally limited were more likely to fail a structured road test, but less likely to have been crash involved in the last three years. Reasons for this apparent paradox, in which more functionally limited drivers have fewer crashes, are addressed in the report. The report describes in detail the flow of renewal license applicants through the three-tier assessment system and makes numerous recommendations, including that the three-tier assessment system be adopted on a pilot basis for further evaluation. |
II | |
| 214 | 2005/ 06 |
Department of Motor Vehicles Post-Licensing Control Management Information System Fiscal Year 2003/2004This report is issued as an internal monograph of the California Department of Motor Vehicles’ Research and Development Branch. |
V | |
| 196 | 2005/ 05 |
Development and Evaluation of Revised Class C Driver LicenseWritten Knowledge TestsThis report presents the results of an evaluation of English and Spanish language Class C license written knowledge examinations administered to applicants for an original or renewal driver licenses. The tests were extensively modified following the 1999 statewide evaluation (Masten, 1999). 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 English language test form. The results are based on 10,502 completed test forms that were collected from field offices statewide in April 2001. It was found that the test fail rates for all tests decreased from the last statewide evaluation. However, the disparity in fail rates between the English and Spanish tests increased, with the rates for Spanish applicants continuing to be substantially higher than the rates for English applicants. |
II | |
| 213 | 2005/ 03 |
PILOT EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH TO HIGH-RISK ELDERLY DRIVERSOver 40,000 Class 3 drivers aged 70 or more who had some traffic incidents on their driving records, but not so many as to make them "negligent operators" under California law, were randomly divided into four groups. One group received educational material (pamphlets, brochures) relating to older driver traffic safety, a resource list of Internet addresses and phone numbers for driving- or elder-oriented organizations, a questionnaire, and a cover letter. A second received only the resource list, questionnaire, and cover letter, while a third received the questionnaire and cover letter, and the fourth was not contacted in any way. There was no significant effect on either subsequent crashes or traffic convictions as a function of the amount of material sent. For the questionnaire, group return rates ranged from 43% to 62%, and several differences were found among the respondents consistent with greater knowledge among those who were sent the educational material. The report ends with a discussion of lessons learned with respect to surveying people—and elderly people specifically—and includes voluminous appendices containing, in part, much of the educational material, the resource list, a presentation of respondent group attitudes toward DMV, and illustrative pages from DMV's new Senior Web Site. |
VI | |
| 211 | 2005/ 01 |
2005 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CALIFORNIA DUI MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMIn this fourteenth annual legislatively mandated report, 2002 and 2003 DUI data from diverse sources were compiled and cross-referenced for the purpose of developing a single comprehensive DUI data reference and monitoring system. This report presents crosstabulated information on DUI arrests, convictions, court sanctions, administrative actions and alcoholinvolved accidents. In addition, this report provides 1-year proportions of DUI recidivism and accident rates for first and second DUI offenders arrested in each year over a time period of thirteen years. Also, the long-term recidivism curves of the cumulative proportions of DUI reoffenses are shown for all DUI offenders arrested in 1994. Analyses were conducted on the effectiveness of alcohol education programs upon the 1-year postconviction records of those convicted of the reduced charge of alcohol-related reckless driving, and on the effectiveness of the 3-month versus 6-month alcohol education programs on the 1-year postconviction records of first offenders. The proportions of 2002 convicted first and second offenders who completed their alcohol education/treatment program requirement are also presented. |
V | |
| 210 | 2004/ 09 |
AN EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IGNITION INTERLOCK IN CALIFORNIAThis study is one of two studies of ignition interlock in California mandated by the California Legislature (AB 762). The first study, published in 2002, was a process evaluation that examined the degree to which ignition interlock has been implemented in California. This current study is an outcome evaluation that examines the effectiveness of ignition interlock in reducing alcohol-related crashes and convictions, and crashes overall (alcohol and nonalcohol). The results of the study show that interlock works for some offenders in some contexts, but not for all offenders in all situations. More specifically, ignition interlock devices work best when they are installed, although there is also some evidence that judicial orders to install an interlock are effective for repeat DUI offenders, even when not all offenders comply and install a device. California’s administrative program, where repeat DUI offenders install an interlock device in order to obtain restricted driving privileges, is also associated with reductions in subsequent DUI incidents. One group for whom ignition interlock orders do not appear effective is first DUI offenders with high blood alcohol levels. |
V | |
| 212 | 2004/ 09 |
Enhancing the Alcohol and Drugs Component Of the Statewide Driver Education CurriculumAlcohol-involved crash data show that young drivers are nearly two times more likely to be in an alcohol-involved fatal or injury crash than are all drivers in general. One important way of preventing alcohol-involved motor vehicle crashes is to provide a comprehensive and accurate education to new drivers about the known risks of driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Over 250,000 students per year are guided by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Statewide Driver Education Curriculum. Yet, serious deficiencies have been identified in the original curriculum component covering alcohol and drug education. This project was undertaken to revise the curriculum to correct specific deficiencies, add missing topic areas, and update remaining issue areas that were already included in the curriculum. The final product is a comprehensive state of knowledge alcohol education curriculum component that is being incorporated into the Statewide Driver Education curriculum. |
I | |
| 209 | 2004/ 05 |
Characteristics of Negligent Operators in CaliforniaThis report presents descriptive information on the demographic characteristics and driving behaviorsof drivers who received the four levels of treatment within California’s negligent operator treatmentsystem (NOTS).Risk profiles are calculated for each treatment level by using historical information on their numbersand types of traffic accidents and convictions resulting in their assignment to the NOTS treatmentlevels. In addition, a risk profile is developed for a random sample of California drivers to facilitate abaseline for the four levels of NOTS treated drivers. |
III |