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. 

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.

393 Results

Report ID Date Published Title Section Links
99 1985/ 10

Development of a Comprehensive Evaluation Design and Data Collection System for Assessment of Provisional Licensing

By: Catherine M. Liddicoat & William C. Marsh

To develop a valid and comprehensive evaluation design and data collection method for assessment of provisional licensing in California.

II
100 1985/ 10

Typological Analysis of California DUI Offenders and DUI Recidivism Correlates

By: Gary W. Arstein-Kerslake & Raymond C. Peck

To develop and cross-validate a statistical methodology for predicting DUI recidivism and DUI countermeasure-program compliance of convicted DUI offenders; to determine the extent to which meaningful subgroups of OUI offenders can be formed.

VI
101 1985/ 11

The Effect of Renewal by Mail for Drivers with Less than Four-Year-Clean Records (Interim Report)

By: Mary K. Janke

To evaluate the traffic safety impact of allowing drivers with a two-year-clean record, but less than a four-year-clean record, to renew their licenses by mail.

II
103 1986/ 03

A Confidence Interval Approach to the Development of Blood Alcohol Concentration Charts

By: Gary W. Arstein-Kerslake

To develop blood alcohol concentration charts based on confidence interval estimates

VII
104 1986/ 01

An Evaluation of the Impact of a Warning Letter for First-Time DUI Offenders (Volume 6 of “An Evaluation of the California Drunk Driving Countermeasure System”)

By: Gary Arstein-Kerslake

To develop, implement, and evaluate a package consisting of a warning letter and pamphlet suitable for the first-DUI offender.

III
105 1986/ 03

Interim Report to the Legislature of the State of California. The Relationship Between Blood Alcohol Concentration Level and Court Sanction Severity in Drunk Driving Cases

By: Helen N. Tashima

To 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
106 1986/ 05

Licensing Novice Motorcyclists: A Comparison of the Traffic Safety Impact of California’s Standard Test and the MOST II (Motorcycle Operator Skill Test) Administered at Centralized Testing Offices

By: Shara Lynn Kelsey, Catherine Liddicoat, & Michael Ratz

To clarify issues raised in the Anderson et al. study, "Improved Motorcyclist Licensing and Testing Project," to answer the following two questions: 1) Would the MOST II reduce accidents and convictions when compared to California's standard skill test? 2) Would there be an accident reduction which was independent of the reduction in instruction permit and license issuance rates resulting from the inconvenience of being required to travel to another location to be tested?

II
107 1986/ 05

An Evaluation of the California Habitual Traffic Offender Law

By: Clifford J. Helander

To evaluate the California habitual traffic offender law (AB 3529 - Mountjoy) interms of: (1) the number of habitual traffic offenders (HTO) identified, (2) their prosecution and conviction rates, and (3) the degree of traffic safety risk posed by HTOs

III
108 1986/ 07

An Evaluation of the Traffic Safety Impact of Provisional Licensing; Interim Report to the Legislature of the State of California – In Accord with Senate Bill 48

By: Robert A. Hagge & William C. Marsh

To evaluate the traffic safety impact of California's Provisional Driver License Program. The primary goal of the program is to reduce the rate of traffic accidents and traffic violations involving 15- through 17-year-olds in California.

II
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 Cases

By: Helen N. Tashima

To 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