You notice the brake lights directly in front of you, but not the queue forming further ahead. Or you reach a busy junction and feel as though every decision has arrived at once. You are looking at the road, but you would like more time to understand what is changing.
Commentary driving means briefly saying what you notice, what it could mean and how you are responding. It is a way to practise connecting observation with a driving decision, rather than simply naming everything outside the window. The words support the drive; they must never take attention away from it.
You do not need a perfect running commentary. Whether you are on P plates or have held a full licence for years, the useful question is the same: did you notice something early enough to make a considered decision?
What makes commentary driving useful?
Our starting point is simple: turn observations into decisions. There is a difference between seeing something and working out why it matters. “Parked van” names an object. “Parked van, view of the footpath blocked, adjusting my speed” connects the view with a possible problem and a response.
That does not mean someone will step out. It means you have recognised what you cannot see and are allowing for it, rather than waiting for the uncertainty to disappear at the last moment.
Speaking a few relevant words can also make your reasoning clearer during coaching. If you describe the van but do not recognise the blocked view, that is a different practice priority from noticing the risk but leaving the speed decision too late.
The aim is not impressive narration. It is a closer connection between the information available and what you actually do with the car.
Use OIPDEC to connect what you see with what you do
Licence Link uses OIPDEC: Observe, Interpret, Predict, Decide, Execute, Communicate. Our short cue is “Talk what you see. Talk what you’ll do.”
Keep your attention on driving and use short phrases. The six stages explain the thinking; they are not six sentences you must recite before acting.
- Observe: “What do I see?” Identify something relevant to your path, space or view. For example: “I can see a van parked beside the footpath.”
- Interpret: “What does it mean?” Explain why that observation matters. “The van is blocking my view of the gap beside it.”
- Predict: “What might happen next?” Allow for a realistic possibility without treating it as certain. “Someone might step out where I cannot yet see them.”
- Decide: “What should I do?” Choose a response that fits the actual situation. “I need to adjust my speed and leave space to respond.”
- Execute: “How do I do it safely and smoothly?” Carry out the decision with the necessary observations and control. “I'm easing off early and checking the area as I approach.”
- Communicate: say the thinking aloud. Briefly explain the observations and decisions as you work through them. You might begin with “I can see…”, “That means…” or “So I'm going to…”.
Although Communicate appears last in the name, it runs through the thinking rather than waiting until after you have acted. Here it means explaining your thinking aloud; it does not replace indicators or other communication with road users. Do not finish a sentence at the expense of responding to a hazard.
Sometimes the right decision is to maintain your current speed and position while continuing to observe. Commentary is not a reason to brake at every possible hazard or move away without checking whether there is somewhere safe to go.
Keep updating the picture. “They are indicating, so they will turn” treats a clue as a promise. “They are indicating; I am watching what they actually do” leaves room for the situation to change.
Examples from everyday Perth driving
These examples show the sort of connection to make, not a script to recite or a complete set of manoeuvre instructions. The actual response depends on your view, the traffic and the space available.
A queue developing ahead
You are travelling along an arterial road and notice brake lights beyond the vehicle directly in front. A brief comment could be: “Traffic slowing ahead; easing off and keeping space.”
That is more useful than waiting until the nearest vehicle brakes and then announcing it. Continue checking the traffic around you and adjust smoothly; the observation does not justify sudden braking when a progressive response is available.
For the practical gap guidance, read Following Distance: Two Seconds, Three Seconds or More? It explains how to check and rebuild space as traffic changes, rather than treating one gap as suitable for every situation.
Read Following Distance: Two Seconds, Three Seconds or More? →
Parked vehicles near a shopping strip
A delivery van blocks part of the footpath and the view beside a parked car. You might say: “View blocked beside the van; reducing speed and watching the gap.”
You are allowing for someone you may not yet be able to see. Keep scanning the wider road as well; staring at the van can leave you unaware of a cyclist, approaching traffic or another change ahead.
Planning ahead on the freeway
On the Kwinana or Mitchell Freeway, an exit sign tells you that a lane decision is approaching. “My exit is ahead; checking my lane and planning early” describes a useful preparation step.
It is not permission to move across immediately. Check the actual lanes, traffic and available space, and do not force a late change because that was your original plan. If you miss the exit, continue safely and find another route. As I always say, “Chaos breeds chaos.”
Freeway Driving 101 covers the practical detail behind merging, lane changes and exits. Use that guide when the issue is how to carry out the manoeuvre, rather than how to recognise the need for it.
Read Freeway Driving 101: Merging, Exits and Lane Discipline →
Start without making driving harder
If speaking while driving feels like another task you cannot comfortably manage, do not start by adding it to a busy freeway entry or unfamiliar multi-lane junction. Begin by working through a simple situation while safely parked, or by observing as a passenger without distracting the driver.
For example, from a suitable parked position you could identify a blocked view, explain what might emerge from it and discuss what a driver approaching it would need to consider. You can practise the connection without also having to control a moving vehicle.
When you are ready to try it while driving, choose a familiar, manageable route and suitable conditions. Keep the commentary brief and leave gaps between comments. There is no requirement to fill every quiet moment or finish a sentence before dealing with what happens next.
If you have a coach or another person with you, agree beforehand that driving comes first. They should not turn it into a rapid-fire question session while you negotiate traffic; explanations can wait until you are safely parked.
You do not need a recording, a timer or a phone app. Do not handle a device or make notes while driving to capture the exercise.
When to stop talking
If the commentary starts competing with driving, stop speaking. Missing a sign, drifting from your intended position or struggling to manage your speed is a reason to put your full attention back on the drive, not to try harder to complete the commentary.
An unexpected hazard needs an appropriate response, not a description first. Act on what is happening and discuss it later when safely parked.
If the situation feels beyond what you can safely manage, find somewhere safe to stop when possible and reset. Arrange practical support rather than using increasingly difficult traffic to test how much commentary you can handle.
Silence is not failure. The purpose is better attention and decisions, not more words.
Notice progress in the drive, not the word count
Once safely parked, choose one situation to reflect on. What did you notice, and did your response happen early enough to be useful?
“I noticed the queue before the car ahead braked, so I had time to ease off” identifies a specific connection. “I talked the whole way” does not tell you whether your observations or decisions improved.
Look for practical changes: less last-moment rushing, appropriate space and decisions that still make sense as the situation develops. One comfortable drive does not prove that every environment is now easy, but it can show you what to keep practising.
Common questions about commentary driving
Is commentary driving only for learners?
No. It can be used as a practice approach by licensed drivers who want to examine their observation and decisions, including experienced drivers returning to situations they have been avoiding.
You do not need to perform an advanced commentary to begin. Start with one relevant observation and the decision connected to it.
Do I have to say everything out loud?
No. Speaking briefly makes the connection easier to discuss with a coach, but constant narration is not the goal.
If speaking uses too much attention, stop. You can work through the reasoning while safely parked and keep the moving drive focused on the road.
Is this the same as the Hazard Perception Test?
No. WA's Hazard Perception Test is a computer-based assessment using traffic scenarios. Commentary driving is a practical coaching exercise, not that test or a score that certifies safe driving.
Being able to describe a hazard is useful only if your observations, judgment and actions also fit the real situation. There is no pass guarantee attached to saying the right words.
What if I notice the hazard but still feel unsure what to do?
That gives you a useful coaching priority. You may need help judging speed, space, visibility or the timing of a particular manoeuvre, rather than another reminder to “look ahead”.
Do not make an uncertain movement simply to complete the exercise. Keep driving safely, stop speaking if needed, and discuss the situation once safely parked.
Turn one observation into a useful next step
Choose one part of your driving that feels rushed, such as recognising a slowing queue or planning for an exit. Work on connecting the information you notice with an appropriate response, instead of trying to improve every part of the drive at once.
Build a clearer approach to reading the road
You do not have to wait until you feel completely confident before asking for support. A useful starting point is knowing which part of your driving feels rushed or unclear and working on the observation, timing and decisions behind it.
The Licence Link Defensive Driving Course is a three-hour, face-to-face course for $297, with automatic and manual options. It is for licensed drivers, from red and green P-platers through to full licence holders who want to improve their skills or confidence.
The session includes briefing, practical coaching and debriefing, with priorities shaped around the areas you want to improve and the driving observed during the session. Freeway merging, lane changes and multi-lane planning are possible focus areas, or maybe parking is still something you avoid doing.
Drivers from across the Perth metropolitan area are welcome. Participants travel to our Bull Creek meeting point, south of the river. Bull Creek is where we meet, as it provides close access to all driving environments including the City, freeways right through to heavy industrial areas.
Your included resources are a personal digital feedback form and relevant digital cheat sheets. No subscription is needed. The aim is to leave with clearer priorities for your driving, not a guarantee that one session will remove every difficult moment.
Explore the Defensive Driving Course if you want practical help connecting what you notice with clearer, less rushed driving decisions.