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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 195 | 2002/ 05 |
AN EVALUATION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF IGNITION INTERLOCK IN CALIFORNIACalifornia law requires judges to sentence offenders convicted of driving on a DUI-suspended driver license (DWS-DUI) to install an ignition interlock device (IID) on any vehicle that they own or operate. In addition, repeat DUI offenders can reduce their suspension period by half and obtain a restricted license by installing an IID. This report presents the results of a process study of the degree to which California’s IID laws have been implemented. The process evaluation consists of several components. DWS-DUI and DUI offenders were tracked through law enforcement, DMV, court and ignition installer records to obtain data on rates of DWS convictions, court-IID orders, IID installations and offender success on the IID program. In addition, DMV records were utilized to obtain data on court-IID orders throughout the state, over time and jurisdictions. Finally, judges, district/city attorneys and offenders were surveyed to obtain data on barriers to the use of IIDs, and attitudes and opinions of the devices. The results of the process studies showed that DWS conviction rates were less than 20%, courtIID order rates for DWS-DUI convictees, for whom such an order is required by law, were only about 25%, and only a minority of offenders ordered to install a device complied and installed an interlock. In addition, relatively few repeat DUI offenders chose to obtain a restricted license by installing an IID. While some recommendations are made for improving the current IID countermeasure system, it is strongly recommended that the current IID laws remain unchanged until the r |
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| 194 | 2003/ 07 |
Teen and Senior Drivers – Report 194This report updates statistical information on California teen and senior drivers as published in earlier reports prepared by the California Department of Motor Vehicles: Teen Driver Facts (Huston, 1986), Senior Driver Facts (Huston & Janke, 1986), and Teen and Senior Drivers (Romanowicz & Gebers, 1990; Gebers, Romanowicz, & McKenzie, 1993; Aizenberg & McKenzie, 1997 [with the Beverly Foundation]). The information is meant to assist highway safety administrators in making program and policy decisions affecting teen and senior drivers, and may also be of use to the insurance industry, traffic safety researchers, and the general public. The report also summarizes international research on the driving safety and driving-related abilities of teen and senior drivers, and on accident countermeasures for these two groups. |
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| 193 | 2002/ 01 |
Department of Motor Vehicles Post-Licensing Control Management Information System Fiscal Year 2000/2001An early Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) study (Poon, 1979) described the need for operational process measures to be tracked over time to provide departmental management with objective measures for assessing the success of departmental operations in meeting management expectations. |
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| 192 | 2002/ 01 |
Development of a Driver License Application Management Information SystemThis project investigated the possibility of developing a conceptual off-line management information system that would contain selected driver licensing information from the Driver License (DL) Master File and, if feasible, from field office electronic databases and possibly existing aggregate-level statistical reports. If developed, the database would be reflective of the statewide driver licensing program, containing data on all, or a large random sample of, licensing process activity throughout the state. The proposed database would be able to provide descriptive measures and statistical data related to the driver licensing process. In the event that departmental management decides to proceed with implementation of the proposed database, funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety would need to be requested and provided for the next stage, Stage II, of the project. The implementation schedule for Stage II is provided in this report. Specifically, Stage II will involve the creation of a prototype DL Application Management Information System Database, which will include collecting actual application data and producing trial information and example statistical reports as a demonstration and validation of the prototype system. |
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| 191 | 2002/ 01 |
2002 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CALIFORNIA DUI MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMIn this eleventh annual legislatively mandated report, 1999 and 2000 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 an evaluation of the effectiveness of alternative court and administrative sanctions (including alcohol treatment programs and license actions) upon the 1-year postconviction records of first and second DUI offenders over a time period of ten years. The postconviction driving records of second DUI offenders arrested in 1997 and 1999 were evaluated for 3- and 1-year periods, respectively. An additional analysis was conducted on the effectiveness of alcohol education programs upon the 1-year post conviction records of those convicted of the reduced charge of alcohol-related reckless driving. |
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| 190 | 2001/ 05 |
Medical Conditions and Other Factors in Driver RiskThis report addresses the effects of medical conditions and medications on the ability to operate a motor vehicle safely. It presents crash rates and crash odds ratios for broadly defined groups of drivers known to the Department of Motor Vehicles as having physical or mental conditions that potentially impair driving. It also reviews the scientific literature dealing with medical conditions and driving. Finally, the report briefly discusses a tiered assessment system under study by the department that holds promise for identifying and evaluating medically impaired drivers. |
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| 189 | 2001/ 01 |
Feasibility of a Statewide Vehicle Impoundment DatabaseA 1997 DMV study evaluating the effectiveness of vehicle impoundment in California found that it was associated with significant declines in subsequent crashes, moving violation convictions and driving-while-suspended/driving-while-unlicensed convictions. However, apart from the information provided by this study, little else is known about vehicle impoundment in California, because there is no centralized statewide database of impoundment actions. A statewide database could provide information that could be used to monitor the integrity of vehicle impoundment in California, and also to assist Legislators in making informed policy decisions on impoundment. The purpose of the present study was to explore whether it is feasible to develop a statewide vehicle impoundment database, preferably using existing reporting sytems and databases so that the creation of the database would not add significant new tasks and responsibilities on law enforcement. An interagency task force was convened to explore the feasibility of creating a statewide impoundment database and, if feasible, to develop a model of the database. The task force determined that it is feasible to develop the database, and recommended that it be based upon an existing system in which law enforcement agencies report vehicle impoundment actions to the Department of Justice's Stolen Vehicle System database. A Memorandum of Understanding will be written by DMV staff and sent to the Office of Traffic Safety requesting funding to develop the database. |
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| 188 | 2001/ 01 |
2001 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CALIFORNIA DUI MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMIn this tenth annual legislatively mandated report, 1998 and 1999 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 alcohol-involved accidents. In addition, this report provides an evaluation of the effectiveness of alternative court and administrative sanctions (including alcohol treatment programs and license actions) upon the 1-year postconviction records of first and second DUI offenders over a time period of nine years. The postconviction driving records of second DUI offenders arrested in 1996 and 1998 were evaluated for three- and one-year periods, respectively. |
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