What is Commentary Driving?

It is literally what is says it is. You drive and commentate.

What are you commentating on?

EVERYTHING!

Commentary Driving can be such a beneficial tool especially for learners once they have mastered the basic skill of driving, as it allows them to plan ahead.

Commentary driving is used by driving experts such as High Speed Pursuit Police Drivers.
If you've ever watched some of the Television programmes where pursuits take place, you will always hear the driver talking through their speed, direction they are travelling in, the volume of traffic being encountered, the weather and road conditions etc.

This generally is to have a recording of the actions they are taking and to justify those actions if necessary at a later date. But it is also allowing the driver to mentally assess their own actions, and allow them to make informed decisions about what they are doing or about to do.


When it comes to learner drivers, commentary driving will not be natural to begin with. It will be very clunky, and not much tends to be said.

This in the first instance will be because they feel a little stupid doing it, but mainly because trying to verbalise what they are doing takes brain power. That brain power is still mainly focused on driving the car.

As the skill of driving becomes more natural and fluent, to the stage of driving on auto pilot (habitually, without thinking about how to drive the car) their skill on commentary driving will improve session after session.

What do you talk about when commentary driving?

In truth, you could talk about everything, and sometimes when a learner has got the idea of commentary driving, they probably will talk about everything.
As the skill grows, so will the importance of what they talk about.

They will build the skill of being able to weed out the "non-important things" and concentrate on where immediate or potential danger is.


If you have never used commentary driving before, try building up little session of a couple of minutes at a time.

It WILL feel awkward to start with, especially if you do not have someone else in the car with you, as to others it may look like you're talking to yourself.

But before starting to learn commentary driving, consider what you might talk about?

Here is a list of thing that might be mentioned.

Current Speed limit
Change of speed limit zones
Vehicles ahead or behind you. Are they slowing or overtaking
Weather conditions
Traffic lights. What colour are the lights currently
Junctions ahead. Are there vehicles waiting to emerge
Whether there are pavements
Are there pedestrians on those pavements
Bus Stops. Are there any pedestrians waiting at them
Is there a bus at the bus stop. What is their signal saying
Bus lanes can you use them (time of use)
Keep clear zones. Are you ensuring you will keep them clear
Box junctions. Will you clear it
Roundabout ahead. Observations do you need to stop
Road markings. What type are they
What direction does the road go. Can you see the direction by street lights, tree lines, hedges etc
Warning signs. What is the sign telling you
Cyclists. How much space are you going to give them
Motorcyclists. Are they filtering, how much space are you going to give them if overtaking
Limit points. Is you speed suitable for the upcoming bend
Agricultural vehicles. How wide, how slow
Railway crossings. Are there lights. Are there barriers
Tramways. Who has priority
Joggers. Have they seen you 
Zebra crossing. Is anyone waiting to cross, Is anyone approaching the crossing
Pedestrian crossings. Same as above

This list is not exhaustive but give you a basic idea of some of the things you will be able to talk about when you commentary drive.

As your skill in this grows, you will learn to filter out the relatively unimportant things and concentrate on the immediate hazards that may cause instant reaction to take place.

Once you are really good at commentary driving, you will find that you can drive and continue to talk throughout the whole journey.

There is always something you can mention when commentary driving.