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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NRN006 | 1976/ 06 |
Oral Testing of Driver’s License ApplicantsTo gather information about several potential test modes which could be used with illiterate applicants and which would serve an instructional purpose without putting a premium on verbal ability. |
II | |
| 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 | |
| 53a | 1976/ 06 |
1976 Language Survey – Follow-up to 1975 Field Office SurveyTo conduct another survey like the 1975 language survey (report no. 53) to determine the number of non-English-speaking persons attempting to utilize services provided at DMV facilities. This survey to be conducted at selected offices to enable management to put customer communication needs into a better perspective. |
VII | |
| 52.1 | 1976/ 04 |
An Abstract of An Evaluation of the California Driver Knowledge Test and the University of Michigan Item PoolTo evaluate both the written DMV driver licensing test and a large sample of driver knowledge test items selected from the University of Michigan's Highway Safety Research Institute (HSRI) item pool. |
II | |
| 52 | 1976/ 04 |
An Evaluation of the California Driver Knowledge Test and the University of Michigan Item PoolTo evaluate both the written DMV driver licensing test and a large sample of driver knowledge test items selected from the University of Michigan's Highway Safety Research Institute (HSRI) item pool. |
II | |
| NRN070 | 1976/ 04 |
Administrative Adjudication of Traffic Offenses in California: A Feasibility StudyTo comply with Senate Concurrent Resolution 40 (1975 Resolution Chapter 86), which mandated a feasibility study of administrative adjudication of traffic infractions. |
V | |
| 51 | 1976/ 03 |
An Evaluation of California’s Drivers Licensing ExaminationTo assess the ability of the written knowledge test and the drive test to screen out accident-prone drivers; to provide descriptive data on the licensing process, with particular interest in the performance of older drivers. |
II | |
| NRN049 | 1976/ 01 |
Toward a Dynamic System of Driver Improvement Program EvaluationTo advance knowledge in the area of program evaluation as it specifically applies to driver improvement. |
IV | |
| NRN069 | 1976/ 01 |
Comprehensive Long Range PlanTo summarize the department's plans for improving its effectiveness and service to the public, using a management-by-objectives (MBO) approach and moving beyond the two-year budget cycle in planning. |
V | |
| NRN048 | 1975/ 12 |
The Effects of Anonymity on Subject Ratings of Driver Improvement Meetings: Questionnaire Response Bias as a Function of Respondent AnonymityTo determine if self-report information by drivers is more candid if collected under anonymous conditions. |
IV |