LICENSING EXAMINATIONS AND THEIR RELATION TO SUBSEQUENT DRIVING RECORD

EVALUATION OF WASHINGTON STATE'S WRITTEN DRIVER'S LICENSING EXAMINATION WAS CARRIED OUT TO DETERMINE THE TEST'S ABILITY TO PREDICT FUTURE DRIVING RECORD. SCORES ON THE WRITTEN EXAMINATION WERE RELATED TO SUBSEQUENT FOUR-YEAR DRIVING RECORDS FOR A SAMPLE OF 235 WASHINGTON DRIVERS. THE CORRELATIONS BETWEEN TEST SCORE AND (1) CATEGORY ASSIGNMENT BASED ON DRIVING RECORD, OR (2) ACCUMULATED VIOLATION POINTS, WERE NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. THE CORRELATIONS BETWEEN ROAD TEST SCORE AND THE SAME TWO VALIDITY CRITERIA WERE ALSO NOT SIGNIFICANT. A 40-ITEM EXAMINATION, USING 20 ITEMS FROM THE LICENSING EXAMINATION, WAS GIVEN TO TWO GROUPS OF CURRENTLY LICENSED DRIVERS: GOOD DRIVERS (CITATION-FREE FOR SIX YEARS) AND BAD DRIVERS (THE WORST 1% OF THE DRIVING POPULATION ACCORDING TO CITATIONS RECEIVED). ITEM ANALYSIS ASSESSED EACH QUESTION'S ABILITY TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN GOOD AND BAD GROUPS. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES OCCURRED FOR 10 ITEMS, BUT HALF OF THOSE WERE IN THE WRONG DIRECTION TO JUSTIFY PRACTICAL USE OF THE TEST. RESULTS QUESTION THE VALIDITY OF A WRITTEN LICENSING EXAMINATION IN ITS PRESENT FORM USING PRESENT SCORING PROCEDURES.

• Authors:
  • WALLACE, J E
  • Crancer, A
• Publication Date: 1971

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 53-65
• Serial:
  • Behavioral Research in Highway Safety
  • Volume: 2
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Behavioral Publications

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Driver performance; Drivers; Driving tests; Personnel performance
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00222124
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: No 1 & 2
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 30 1973 12:00AM