You may have heard the term commentary driving; this article will explain what it means and how it can benefit any driver.

Commentary driving is the ability to verbally express and describe what you are thinking and seeing when driving. It can be initially quite foreign to start, but once you have mastered the technique, you will find it very beneficial. It will help you focus on your forward observations and fully scan the road, enabling you to spot any hazards in advance giving you more time to adjust and plan – for whatever that may be.

Commentary driving is a system required for all advanced motorists and is part of an advanced motorists test. You will find that Police drivers will use commentary regularly, as you may have seen on many TV programs where they are chasing criminals. They verbalise their positions over radios to other officers in the area and the control room. This also focuses on the driver and helps them be aware of other road users and pedestrians. Although commentary in Police chase situations is the extreme version of the system, using it daily is an excellent way of staying safe and aware in a range of traffic situations.

How to start using commentary driving

As mentioned, commentary driving can feel quite odd, and you can feel self-conscious at first, especially with another person in the car, but it is worth continuing.  As a good driver, you should be doing the basics anyway, which will be the constant checking of your surroundings by using mirrors and looking well ahead. Still, with commentary driving, you will be verbalising these movements at the same time. This will help your brain not only to take in any issues but also to stop any other overthinking or intrusive thoughts from taking over your mind simultaneously.  

Starting gradually and being aware of the weather, road conditions, road signs and markings will help to make commentary driving easier. Use all of your senses, including your hearing.

Scanning the road and verbalising what you see and what it means to you, for example, you see a junction ahead with green traffic lights. This will help you ensure you are in the correct lane and at the correct speed for stopping should the lights turn red. You can verbalise if you see pedestrians waiting to cross or if you can see cyclists or motorbikes at the traffic lights, and it will help you to give extra space. Of course, these things are part of normal driving observations, but by verbalising them, they stick in your mind more. They can help you make clearer decisions, as you only think about what you are seeing, not what you may be having for dinner or if you are late for a meeting.

Things to verbalise when using commentary driving – a few considerations:

Vehicles at junctions or intersections, are they turning into the road or waiting?
Side junctions: are vehicles trying to join the road from the side? Driveways or shop entrances?
Approaching hazards, traffic lights, roundabouts, stop or give way signs, parked cars, school or playground entrances.
Skid marks on the road – is there a hazard, or is that corner sharper than it looks?
Has the ice thawed under the bridge I am approaching?
Polishing of road surface – less grip as I approach this fast corner.
That car in lane one is closing in on that HGV. Have they seen me about to overtake them in lane two?
The car approaching me out of that corner is going very slow – is there a hidden hazard I’m about to see?

There is no limit to what you can verbalise when using commentary driving, and the more you can relax and speak what you see, the more of an observant driver you will become.

Commentary driving is one of the best techniques you can learn to help with building confidence for drivers suffering from anxiety issues, and once learned and worked on regularly, it will stay with you for life. Commentary driving is not just for those with confidence issues – it’s great for all drivers. For newly qualified drivers and those driving alone for the first few times, commentary driving will help with confidence immensely, as it will help to stop overthinking. Getting used to commentary driving from the start of your driving career will keep you safe throughout, and it is a technique recommended for all drivers no matter what age, and it is never too late to learn!