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
1 1959/ 07

California Vehicle Registrations and Drives Licenses – 1946-1958

By: Research & Development

To summarize the Department of Motor Vehicle’s growth in workload since 1946 and to make comparisons with other states and the United States.

VII
2 1960/ 10

Vision Research Project Progress Report

By: Research & Development

To present an interim report on the finding of our Visual Research Program for which a preliminary report was presented in January 1959.

VI
3 1960/ 02

The Drunk Driver – An Inventory of 200 Representative Cases

By: Research & Development

To 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
4 1960/ 02

A Study of Information Requests Services

By: Research & Development

To determine areas of organization policy and procedure, relating to the registration of vehicles and such information as is contained on an application for a drivers license, where improvements are applicable and recommend corrective action.

VII
5 1960/ 08

Departmental Functions Relating to Vehicle Use and Ownership, 1915-1959

By: Research & Development

To undertake a survey of Department of Motor Vehicles’ functions relating to the use and ownership of vehicles, in response to a request of the California State Assembly’s Assembly Interim Committee on Transportation and Commerce. This report comes under the designation of Phase I, the "fact-gathering" stage of the study.

VII
6 1960/ 08

A Study of Parking DMV Headquarters Area 1963-1970-1980

By: Research & Development

To study and report on the parking and traffic schemes of the Department of Motor Vehicles Headquarters Building in Sacramento, in response to the City of Sacramento Inter-Governmental Committee (Councilman Philip Mering, chairman).

VII
7 1960/ 10

A Study of Mechanization of Operations – Drivers License Information Request Services

By: Research & Development

To study, at the request of Mr. Fred P. Williams, Chief, Division of Drivers Licenses, the systems applicable to the mechanization of the sorting and billing operations in the Department of Motor Vehicle’s Information Request Unit.

VII
08 1961/ 02

Control of the Negligent Driver–Part I: Characteristics of Negligent Drivers

By: Ronald S. Coppin & Ira Samuels

To discover if there are characteristics differentiating negligent drivers from the "average" driver, and if relationships exist between actual driving performance and mileage driven, occupation, age, or sex.

III
9 1961/ 10

A Controlled Evaluation of Group Driver Improvement Meetings

By: Ronald S. Coppin

To describe and analyze the results of an experimental program of group driver improvement meetings.

III
11 1962/ 10

Control of the Negligent Driver–Part II: Driving Performance of Negligent Drivers

By: Ronald S. Coppin & G. van Oldenbeek

To make thorough and comparative analyses of performance of negligent drivers before and after departmental action, and of the differences, if any, associated with age, type of action taken, mileage driven, occupation, sex, type of license, and other factors or combinations of factors.

III