AN EVALUATION OF THE CALIFORNIA DRIVE TEST IN THEME AND VARIATION. VOLUME ONE--TREATMENT DEVELOPMENT AND PRELIMINARY EVALUATION

A series of pilot studies was performed as part of a process for developing and refining the treatments to be administered to previously unlicensed drivers license applicants in a later experiment. The Pilot-1 was performed to compare five skill tests, primarily on the basis of dual rates reliability and correlations with scores on the present drive test. Pilot-2 was performed to obtain an estimate of the fail-rate and dual rates reliability of the new drive test. In Pilot-3, parallel parking was combined with new drive tests and scoring modifications were made which prior data indicated would reduce the combined fail-rate to 50%. Pilot-4: in the first of these pilots no changes were made to the test, but the examiners were instructed to disregard the usual artificial constraints on the proportion of applicants they should fail. The result was a significant increase in fail-rate. In the next Pilot (5) the weights on the drive test score sheet were elevated to the extent that data from Pilot 4 indicated was necessary to obtain a 50% fail-rate. In Pilots 6 and 7 parallel parking was substituted for the usual skill tests used with the present drive test and a pilot study was run in which a 54% fail-rate was obatined. A final pilot (8) was performed to obtain data relating performance on both the present and new drive test to biographical and driver record data. The study results are consistent with previous studies of drive test validity. There is no indication that the drive test has any practical value as a device for identifying drivers who are more likely to have future accidents.

• Corporate Authors:

  California Department of Motor Vehicles

  P.O. Box 11828, 2415 1st Avenue
  Sacramento, CA  United States  95813
• Authors:
  • RATZ, M
• Publication Date: 1978-8

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 190 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Biographies; Curb side parking; Driver performance; Driver records; Drivers; Driving tests; Personnel performance; Pilot studies
• Uncontrolled Terms: Parallel parking
• Old TRIS Terms: Pilot study
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00188442
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: California Department of Motor Vehicles
• Report/Paper Numbers: CAL-DMV-RSS-78-62
• Files: TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Mar 14 1979 12:00AM