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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 109 | 1986/ 09 |
Final Report to the Legislature of the State of California. The Relationship Between Blood Alcohol Concentration Level and Court Sanction Severity in Drunk Driving CasesTo provide the legislature with tabulations of sanction severity by blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level and license status for first and second DUI offenders, prior and subsequent to the enactment of Assembly Bill (AB) 144 (Naylor, 1985). |
III | |
| 113 | 1987/ 09 |
Traffic Violator School Dismissals: The Effects of Citation Masking on Accident-Risk Assessment and on the Volume of Department of Motor Vehicles’ License Control ActionsTo evaluate the effects of citation masking on accident-risk assessment and on the volume of Department of Motor Vehicles' license control actions. |
III | |
| 120 | 1989/ 07 |
Proof-of-Service Rates for Suspended or Revoked Drivers as a Function of Mailing Contact StrategyIn an attempt to increase proof rates, this study developed and evaluated a number of mailing strategies for various categories of suspension or revocation reason. |
III | |
| 171 | 1997/ 11 |
An Evaluation of the Specific Deterrent Effect of Vehicle Impoundment onsuspended, Revoked and Unlicensed Drivers in CaliforniaWhile license suspension/revocation has been shown to be effective, it is also known that most suspended/revoked(S/R) drivers violate their illegal driving status and continue to drive, accruing traffic convictions and becominginvolved in crashes. In an attempt to strengthen license actions and to better control S/R and unlicensed drivers,California enacted two laws effective January 1995 which provide for the impoundment/forfeiture of vehicles drivenby S/R and unlicensed drivers. The current study evaluates the impact of vehicle impoundment on the 1-yearsubsequent driving behavior of S/R and unlicensed drivers who are subject to it.The subsequent driving records of drivers whose vehicles were impounded were compared to a very similar groupwhose vehicles were not impounded. These group comparisons were done for both first offenders (e.g., those withno prior driving while suspended (DWS)/driving while unlicensed (DWU) convictions) and repeat offenders. Theresults showed that impounded first offenders had 23.8% fewer DWS/DWU convictions, 18.1% fewer trafficconvictions and 24.7% fewer crashes than non-impounded first offenders. These group differences are even largerfor repeat offenders. Impounded repeat offenders had 34.2% fewer DWS/DWU convictions, 22.3% fewer trafficconvictions and 37.6% fewer crashes than non-impounded repeat offenders. These findings provide strong supportfor impounding vehicles driven by S/R and unlicensed drivers. |
III | |
| 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 | |
| 3 | 1960/ 02 |
The Drunk Driver – An Inventory of 200 Representative CasesTo conduct an inventory of the prior records of 200 representative cases selected at random from the group of all cases suspended or revoked during the six month periodfrom July 1, 1959, through December 31, 1959. |
III | |
| 30.1 | 1969/ 08 |
An Abstract of Modifying Negligent Driving Behavior Through Warning LettersTo investigate the relative impact of various types of warning letters on the subsequent driving record of negligent drivers. Levels of threat and intimacy were manipulated. |
III | |
| 68 | 1978/ 12 |
An Evaluation of Alcohol Abuse Treatment as an Alternative to Drivers License Suspension or Revocation (Final Report to the Legislature in Accord with Senate Bill (SB) 38-Gregorio)To assess the traffic safety impact of using the alcohol abuse treatment strategy as an alternative to license suspension or revocation; to assess the impact of treatment program participation or license suspension/ revocation on a driver's life style; to develop guidelines or recommendations concerning the structure of a first-offender program based upon the results of the SB 330 evaluation and knowledge of the state-of-the-art; and to provide guidelines or recommendations concerning future program or evaluation needs. |
III | |
| 70 | 1979/ 07 |
An Evaluation of Probation-by-Mail as an Alternative to Mandatory Hearing Attendance for Negligent OperatorsTo evaluate the feasibility and traffic safety implications of placing negligent operators on probation by letter without the subjects being scheduled for a hearing. |
III | |
| 77.1 | 1981/ 12 |
An Abstract of An Evaluation of Three Alternative Formats for Probation Violation HearingsTo develop and evaluate new formats hearings which incorporate behavior caseload-scheduling approach. for negligent operator probation violator modificatiol1 principles and a client |
III |