Commentary Driving

Topics relating to Advanced Driving in cars
User avatar
GTR1400MAN
Posts: 2209
Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2016 12:23 pm

Re: Commentary Driving

Postby GTR1400MAN » Fri Aug 11, 2017 6:34 pm

Ahh, I only meant to quote the first line of your post! :)
Mike Roberts - Now riding a Triumph Explorer XRT. My username comes from my 50K miles on a Kawasaki 1400GTR, after many years on Hondas of various shapes and styles. - https://tinyurl.com/mikerobertsonyoutube

User avatar
Mr Cholmondeley-Warner
Posts: 1118
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2015 7:01 pm
Location: Swindon

Re: Commentary Driving

Postby Mr Cholmondeley-Warner » Fri Aug 11, 2017 7:25 pm

Hehe. It's funny how when I started on AD I found all this nonsense a bit pedantic and slightly irksome while amusing at the same time. Now I sort of see the value. It's not just about words, but about the meaning behind the sign. A favourite of mine is the solid white line. "So what do they mean?" I'll ask a new associate. "Well, they mean we mustn't overtake" is the almost invariable answer. Cue 10 minutes discussion ...
Nick

User avatar
Horse
Posts: 3557
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 9:20 am

Re: Commentary Driving

Postby Horse » Fri Aug 11, 2017 7:28 pm

Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:So "accompanied horses" = "horses and riders" ? ;) :P


A pair of horses?
Groom leading a horse?
Hunt horse with follower/Sab?

Loads of possibilities ;)
Your 'standard' is how you drive alone, not how you drive during a test.

User avatar
Strangely Brown
Posts: 1018
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2015 8:06 pm
Location: Sussex

Re: Commentary Driving

Postby Strangely Brown » Sat Aug 12, 2017 8:37 am

Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:So "accompanied horses" = "horses and riders" ? ;) :P


Not necessarily. They could be being lead. :)

Q. When is a horse not a horse?
A. When it is being lead.

Sorry. That just came back to me from a very old childhood "joke" book.

User avatar
Mr Cholmondeley-Warner
Posts: 1118
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2015 7:01 pm
Location: Swindon

Re: Commentary Driving

Postby Mr Cholmondeley-Warner » Mon Aug 14, 2017 8:36 am

I was about to get all spelling Nazi about "led" until I understood the joke :D :oops:
Nick

crr003
Posts: 951
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2015 5:32 pm

Re: Commentary Driving

Postby crr003 » Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:32 pm

GTR1400MAN wrote:
Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:There are, however, a few examiners who are quite punctilious about the correct names for road signs. I'm sure if you explain about your injury before starting, that there'll be some leeway though.

(e.g. "accompanied horses" not "horses and riders" etc ...)

Yes, I've had that discussion with a ROSPA examiner.

"It's what it means" says I.

"It's not the official description"

"Does the official description mean what I said?"

"It does, but I like to hear the official ones"

It didn't affect the result. :)

I've also seen similar comments in Masters reports. :(

Jolly right too. I'm slightly disconcerted by this lack of accuracy in describing road signs. The government provides two signs - accompanied horses or ponies and wild horses or ponies (HC wording).
What next? Associate; "ooohhh look- bendy/windy/wiggly road ahead" (takes one hand off steering wheel to point at sign). So we know what it means, but would a car Observer let that go, or would they prefer "double bend, first left/right"?

Taffy
Posts: 45
Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2017 12:46 pm

Re: Commentary Driving

Postby Taffy » Mon Aug 14, 2017 1:50 pm

crr003 wrote:What next? Associate; "ooohhh look- bendy/windy/wiggly road ahead" (takes one hand off steering wheel to point at sign). So we know what it means, but would a car Observer let that go, ...


Hey, that's me that is. Well maybe I wouldn't point at the sign. That's what triggered my original post. I can't find words when I need them.

"In the distance I can see a thingy, you know, that striped thing across the road, a crossing, that's it. And there's a wotyoumacallit, a man, uhm ah yes pedestrian (excuse me for pausing to congratulate myself for finding the word 'pedestrian'), that's the word I was after, approaching it. But it's in my mirror now though so doesn't really matter perhaps".

I'm finding it very helpful to read lots of examples of commentary statements though. I can grab hold of some of these sentences much more easily than I can put one together from scratch. So this thread has been very helpful, I think.

User avatar
Mr Cholmondeley-Warner
Posts: 1118
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2015 7:01 pm
Location: Swindon

Re: Commentary Driving

Postby Mr Cholmondeley-Warner » Mon Aug 14, 2017 2:11 pm

Learning the names of signs can be a great help. Showing that you've noticed them is a good step towards the overall observation that's one of the cornerstones of AD.

Worth noting some different types and useful ways of introducing them:

"Warning of" (triangles) - pedestrians crossing, r/h bend, double bend, road narrows etc.
"Restriction" (circles) - one-way, speed limit, width, height, no u-turn etc.
"Instruction" (circles) - turn right, stop (octagonal), etc.
"Information" (rectangles) - route information, tourist information (brown), town names etc.
"Finger post" - the pointy sign that tells you where a junction actually is, after the information and warning signs that told you it was coming up
Nick

crr003
Posts: 951
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2015 5:32 pm

Re: Commentary Driving

Postby crr003 » Mon Aug 14, 2017 3:58 pm

Taffy wrote:
crr003 wrote:What next? Associate; "ooohhh look- bendy/windy/wiggly road ahead" (takes one hand off steering wheel to point at sign). So we know what it means, but would a car Observer let that go, ...


Hey, that's me that is. Well maybe I wouldn't point at the sign. That's what triggered my original post. I can't find words when I need them.

"In the distance I can see a thingy, you know, that striped thing across the road, a crossing, that's it. And there's a wotyoumacallit, a man, uhm ah yes pedestrian (excuse me for pausing to congratulate myself for finding the word 'pedestrian'), that's the word I was after, approaching it. But it's in my mirror now though so doesn't really matter perhaps".

I'm finding it very helpful to read lots of examples of commentary statements though. I can grab hold of some of these sentences much more easily than I can put one together from scratch. So this thread has been very helpful, I think.

I wouldn't worry, it's most people! And the need to fill in/talk constantly (although some will say there's always something to mention) - I wouldn't strain to fill "dead air".
If you look for examples of commentary on YouTube, some are quite "flowery" (verbose). IAM talked about three styles of commentary - a "demo" style where pretty much full sentences were being strung together to help a new Associate "get it", down to what they called a "competition" style where brief phrases or even one word would be used - the recipient would understand what the phrase meant.
I know people who think it's impressive to be able to differentiate a Zebra/(Pelican)/Puffin/Toucan/Equestrian crossing from x hundred feet......but as long as you know there's a crossing coming, that's the main thing.

Maybe the shorter style would suit you better - if it's tests you're concerned about, I think the Examiner is happy to use commentary as an indication of your observations, more than your command of language. To that end mentioning signs well in the distance (as the other poster mentioned) is a great way of showing you're scanning well, rather than getting closer and taking the risk of getting tongue tied about the actual meaning and being past it.

Do you have someone that you (and them!) would feel comfortable enough that they drove and you sat in the passenger seat commentating? Takes the pressure off having to drive and fit in all together - just till you develop some stock phrases/comments?

User avatar
Horse
Posts: 3557
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 9:20 am

Re: Commentary Driving

Postby Horse » Mon Aug 14, 2017 4:50 pm

crr003 wrote: (takes one hand off steering wheel to point at sign). So we know what it means, but would a car Observer let that go, or would they prefer "double bend, first left/right"?


What's important is that they see and acknowledge the sign.

To save some retyping:
viewtopic.php?f=28&t=456&p=11685&hilit=japanese#p11685

:)
Your 'standard' is how you drive alone, not how you drive during a test.


Return to “Advanced Driving - Cars”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 23 guests