Knowledge and Attitude Change and the Relationship to Driving Performance Among Drivers Attending California Traffic Violator School

Sep 29, 2026

One of the primary goals of the traffic violator school (TVS) program is to improve knowledge and attitudes toward traffic safety issues among drivers cited for traffic violations. Although the TVS curriculum is standard across courses, content emphasis and presentation factors may differ, including comedy versus non-comedy, public versus private ownership, and use of advertising inducements. This study evaluated how such differences affect learning and attitude change. Results show knowledge improvement and positive attitude were not significantly linked to instructional method, provider type, or inducements, and neither knowledge gain nor attitude change related significantly to subsequent accident involvement or driver record entries. A small relationship suggested higher knowledge gain corresponded to fewer traffic citations. The study recommends considering an exit test to support knowledge goals.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages55

Reading Time2 h 19 min

AccessFree to download

Preface

Acknowledgments

KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE CHANGE AND THERELATIONSHIP TO DRIVING PERFORMANCEAMONG DRIVERS ATTENDING CALIFORNIATRAFFIC VIOLATOR SCHOOL ByMichael A.Gebers February 1995 Research and Development SectionDivision of Program and Policy AdministrationCalifornia Department of Motor VehiclesRSS-95-147 | REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE | | | | | Form Approved
OMB No.0704-0188 | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Public meporfng burden for this oolecfon of information is esfimated to average 1 hour pe response,including the fime for reviewing instrucfons,seaching existing data souces,gathering and
maintaining the dataneeded,and completing and reviewing the collectionof informafon.Send commets egardingthis burden estimate or ay other aspect of this collectionof informafon,including
suggesfionsfor reducng this burden,to Washington Headquarters Services,Directorate for Infomafion Operations and Repors,1215 Jeffeson Davs Highway,Suie 1204,Arington,VA22202-
4302,and to the Oftice of Management and Budget,Paperwork Reduction Project(0704-018B),Washington,DC 20503. | | | | | | | | 1.AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) | | 2.REPORT DATE
February 1995 | | 3.REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED | | | | 4.TITLE AND SUBTITLE
Knowledge and Attitude Change and the Relationship to Driving
Performance Among Drivers Attending California Traffic Violator
School. | | | | | 5.FUNDING NUMBERS | | | 6.AUTHOR(S)
Michael A.Gebers | | | | | | | | 7.PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S)ANDADDRESS(ES)
California Department of Motor Vehicles
Research and Development Section
24151st Avenue
Sacramento,CA 95818 | | | | | 8.PERFORMING ORGANIZATION
REPORT NUMBER
RSS-95-147 | | | 9.SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S)AND ADDRESS(ES) | | | | | 10.SPONSORING/MONITORNG
AGENCY REPORT NUMBER | | | 11.SUPPLEMENTARYNOTES | | | | | | | | 12a.DISTRIBUTION/AVALABILITY STATEMENT | | | | | 12b.DISTRBUTION CODE | | | 13.ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words)
One of the primary goals of the traffic violator school(TVS)program is to improve knowledge
and attitudes toward traffic safety issues among drivers cited for traffic violations.While the
TVS curriculum is standard for all courses,the courses may differ in content emphasis and other
factors.Among the specific characteristics on which TVS programs differ are comedy versus
non-comedy presentation modes,public versus private ownership,and use of advertising
inducements.The present study examined how these differences may influence the amount of
learning and attitude change resulting from TVS attendance.
The results indicate that the amount of improvement in knowledge and positive attitude was not
significantly related to method of instruction,type of provider,or use of an inducement to attract
enrollees. No significant relationship was found between knowledge gain and subsequent
accident involvement,or between attitude change and subsequent driver record entries.It was
also found that although level of knowledge gain was associated with fewer subsequent traffic
citations,the magnitude of the relationship was small.
It was recommended that,to the extent that one of the goals of TVS is to increase knowledge of
safe driving practices,there may be some value in requiring an exit test as a condition for
receiving a TVS-completion certificate.However,there is no evidence at this time to conclude
that such an increase in knowledge would result in a reduction in subsequent accident
involvements. | | | | | | | | 14.SUBJECT TERMS
Knowledge tests,highway safety,traffic law violators,driver
improvement schools | | | | | | 15.NUMBER OFPAGES
57 | | | | | | | | 16.PRICE CODE | | 17.SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
OF REPORT
Unclassified | 18.SECURITY CLASSIFICATON
OF THIS

FAQs

What was the main purpose of the traffic violator school (TVS) program evaluated in this study?

The TVS program aimed to improve drivers’ knowledge and attitudes regarding traffic safety issues for those cited for traffic violations.

Which TVS program differences were examined for their effect on learning and attitude change?

The study examined differences such as comedy versus non-comedy presentation, public versus private ownership, and the use of advertising inducements.

Did changes in knowledge or attitude predict subsequent accidents or driver record entries?

No significant relationship was found between knowledge gain and subsequent accident involvement, or between attitude change and subsequent driver record entries.

Sep 29, 2026

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