Learning to Drive Commentary Driving

Blue School of Motoring can tailor a driving course that will help you cope with all of the following.

Your Blue School of Motoring Driving Instructor will train you in Commentary driving this is a method for advanced driving which has been shown to improve safety, road handling and smooth control.

Commentary driving is basically talking while driving, and is a technique for improving many aspects of a drivers performance.

It is the subject that is important. The driver is supposed to keep up a running commentary of all hazards, actions, planning and observations.

A commentary could go something like:

• Car emerging right -check mirrors
• Approaching roundabout - check mirrors
• Reduce speed - check mirrors
• Car overtaking - maintain speed
• Traffic Lights ahead - check mirrors
• Speed Change ahead - check mirrors
• Etc, etc

Getting over the embarrassment of talking out loud when there is nobody else in the car stops some people from bothering with the technique, but it must be done out load for maximum effect.

The reason that commentary driving works is that the driver hears gaps in his or her running commentary and these correspond to gaps in attentiveness.

Your driving skills will improve as you become more confident, and plan further ahead. Basically you put yourself in the position of being in a driving test situation. For this reason it is perhaps the most effective technique for improving your own advanced driving skills without paying anyone else.

This is a truly excellent technique which forces you the driver to notice their own thoughts (or lack of them) while driving. Commentary driving is acknowledged as a major cause of increased in-car safety.

Comments are expected to take place before the fact, not after. They should be about things they see and the intentions on the part of the driver rather than a description of the mechanics of the operation to be taken .Comments should be specific; general terms such as "checking conditions" and "will move into proper lane," should be avoided.

• Signs (do they see them and understand what they mean?)
• Signals (If the light is changing, or about to change, what action should they take?)
• Roadway markings
• Hazardous situations (Do they see it and know how to respond?)
• Driving practices of other drivers. (Are they watching other drivers and anticipating their actions or mistakes?)

Recognize and practice problem solving.

Recognize the vast number of things a driver should be watching for and that driving is a full time job.

Implements the knowledge and driving skills previously learned.

Judge how far ahead one should observe and how early to start taking action.