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:
Department of Motor Vehicles
Research and Development Branch
2415 1st Ave. Mail Station: F-126
Sacramento, CA 95818
(916) 914-8125
Please include the report number, the number of copies requested, and your name, address, and phone number.
| Report ID | Date Published | Title | Section | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NRN034 | 1992/ 11 |
Effectiveness of California Laws in Deterring Drinking and DrivingThis paper, written for presentation at a DUI symposium sponsored by the Automobile Club of Southern California, provides a historical review and evaluation of the impact of California DUI legislation in deterring drinking and driving. |
III | |
| NRN092 | 1986/ 03 |
Effective- Time ChartsTo graphically present trends in effective-time management in each DMV field office, each field office grade level, and statewide, in order to assess effectiveness of departmental operations in serving the motoring public. |
VII | |
| 66 | 1978/ 04 |
Educational Approaches to Driver Improvement: An Experimental Evaluation with Negligent DriversTo develop a group driver-improvement program that is more effective in reduction of accident/conviction rates and more cost-beneficial than the standard Group Educational Meeting (GEM). |
III | |
| NRN065 | 1996/ 01 |
DUI Educational and Rehabilitation Program Effectiveness-A Review of California ExperienceTo review the California research evidence on the relative effectiveness of Dill treatment programs, and to present an overview for traffic safety practitioners and policymakers in New Mexico. |
IV | |
| 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 | |
| NRN079 | 1990/ 03 |
Drugs and Traffic Safety: Is There a Nexus?To examine the evidence for a connection, causal or otherwise, between drug use and accidents. |
VI | |
| 18 | 1965/ 01 |
Driving Under Suspension and Revocation: A Study of Suspended and Revoked Drivers Classified as Negligent OperatorsTo examine a six-year record of 1,326 negligent operators who were suspended or revoked to determine how many continued to drive and how many were convicted of this offense as well as the violation for which they were stopped. |
III | |
| NRN103 | 1991/ 01 |
Driving Simulator ReviewTo review and evaluate the technology, costs, and _unresolved issues of contention related to driving simulators; to reach conclusions, based on research studies, about the validity of using driving simulators. |
VII | |
| 56 | 1976/ 06 |
Driving Record and Recidivism Following the Purging of Driver Control Action FilesTo evaluate adequacy of the department's driver action purge policies by analyzing the subsequent driving record of subjects whose files had been previously purged. |
V | |
| NRN041 | 1968/ 01 |
Driver Questionnaire Response Rate and Response Bias as a Function of Contact StrategyTo determine the optimum procedure for mailing questionnaires to drivers. |
IV |