Commentary Driving: Step 6 - 'Making sense' Project
This project is designed to help you to further develop your commentary driving.
If you have practised the first commentary driving exercise as directed, you should now be able to pick out road signs and markings well ahead as you drive along the road. The next step in developing your commentary is the inclusion of any MSM actions that you will take to deal with the hazard that is indicated by the signs, or controlled by the road markings.
Start with a thirty minute dedicated practise drive, and then every time you go out driving over the next few days spend about ten minutes of the drive looking out for road signs and markings and saying the name of each out loud as you spot it – in exactly the same way as you did for the first commentary project.
However, this time for every second or third sign, or set of markings, you will start to add information relating to your use of the hazard routine. Watch the video above for examples. The reason for choosing every second sign is to help ensure that you don't 'trip over yourself'. The exercise is not about 'talking fast' and trying to 'fit everything in', it's about becoming clear and fluent when talking out loud about what you can see and what you are doing.
You will see from the examples that you now say what you see but in addition, what you are doing.
Keep your commentary in the present tense. Avoid talking about what has happened or what is going to (or might) happen. Simply say what you are seeing and doing.
As with the first commentary project, continue with your 'curiosity' about signs and markings, considering their relevance and position. How helpful are they to you as a driver? Remember that you need to answer questions about "What?" "When?" "Where?" "How?" and "Why?"
Important note: These commentary exercises are kept deliberately 'easy' and build in steps as your skills progress. If you succumb to the temptation of trying to do too much, or to allow your commentary to become over-complex you may encounter difficulties.
Next: Project 3, Adding more information