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
Note Please include the report number, the number of copies requested, and your name, address, and phone number.
| Report ID | Date Published | Title | Section | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 93.1 | 1985/ 03 |
An Abstract of License Extensions for Clean-Record Drivers: A Four-Year Follow-UpTo evaluate the traffic safety effect of extending driver licenses by mail for drivers with clean prior four-year records. |
II | |
| 93 | 1985/ 03 |
License Extensions for Clean-Record Drivers: A Four-Year Follow-UpTo evaluate the traffic safety effect of extending driver licenses by mail for drivers with clean prior four-year records. |
II | |
| 99 | 1985/ 10 |
Development of a Comprehensive Evaluation Design and Data Collection System for Assessment of Provisional LicensingTo develop a valid and comprehensive evaluation design and data collection method for assessment of provisional licensing in California. |
II | |
| 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 | |
| NRN009 | 1985/ 06 |
The Role of Youth in Traffic Accidents: A Review of Past and Current California DataTo clarify the role of youth in traffic accident causation. |
II | |
| NRN014 | 1991/ 07 |
Evaluation of the Commercial Driver License Knowledge TestsTo provide Program and Policy Administration (PP A) with item and test statistics useful for developing and improving the commercial driver license (CDL) knowledge tests. |
II | |
| 255 | 2018/ 06 |
An Evaluation of The Effect of Gaps In Licensure On Traffic Safety Outcomes Subsequent to RenewalAbsent a progressive physical or mental condition, motorists in California are permitted to renew their driver license without submitting to a skills test. This policy applies regardless of how long a customer’s license has been expired. Given a lack of published research on the retention of motor skills required of driving, the current study was designed to evaluate the effect of a “gap” in licensure on one’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. More specifically, it sought to determine whether a gap in a customer’s licensing history was associated with crashes and / or convictions subsequent to renewal. To that end, the Department’s Driver License Master File was used to identify motorists in California who had a clearly defined gap at some point during their licensing history. These customers were then placed into one of three study groups based upon the length of time it took for them to relicense: 1 to 30 days (n = 6,135), 31 to 365 days (n = 4,688), or greater than 365 days (n = 1,973). A fourth group of drivers, all of whom had not experienced a gap in their licensing history (i.e., those who renewed early), was also identified to serve as a type of quasi-experimental control group. These analyses found that drivers who had a gap of at least 1 year had the same odds of incurring at least one post-renewal conviction as did drivers who renewed early. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models also indicated that gap duration was not a significant predictor of post-renewal crash involvement; drivers in this study were equally likely to experience a post-renewal crash, regardless of how long they were unlicensed. Based on the findings of this report, recommendations are made to maintain current DMV policy and not integrate skills testing as part of the renewal process, absent additional information indicating potential issues of concern (e.g., a progressive vision disorder). |
II | |
| 101 | 1985/ 11 |
The Effect of Renewal by Mail for Drivers with Less than Four-Year-Clean Records (Interim Report)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 | |
| 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 48To 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 | |
| 150 | 1994/ 06 |
THE CALIFORNIA DRIVER PERFORMANCE EVALUATION PROJECT: AN EVALUATION OF A NEW DRIVER LICENSING ROAD TESTIn 1990 the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) initiated a program to increase the level of driving competency of the California driver population. A key element of this program involves the development and implementation of an improved drivetest. |
II |