The author directs a program, Traffic Assistance Services for Kansas (TASK), which develops and presents training materials to local government personnel with the objective of improving safety. The author has promoted the concepts of driver expectancy and positive guidance in this material. For example, these concepts are the foundations of the Kansas Low Volume Roads (LVR) Handbook. As a companion to the handbook, Commentary Driving was developed as a tool for evaluating LVR situations where roadway conditions and/or signing "surprised the driver", i.e. violated the drivers' expectancy. These are potentially high-risk locations. Commentary Driving is a technique where a driver drives a route while route while he/she makes a running commentary of expectations and particularly expectations of the road ahead and driving requirements to drive safely. The author developed a number of manuals and course materials over the years to teach the technique. The training progressed from subjects driving vans over specified routes to having subjects view videos. The final step was to develop a commercial production of a self taught, interactive video/workbook. With this media it is possible to teach and promote the technique worldwide. The paper starts with definitions and discussion of driver expectancy, positive guidance and related principles, and the importance of these principles to road safety. The paper explains the relationship between commentary driving and the principles of driver expectancy and positive guidance. The Commentary Driving technique is recommended as a quick, efficient, low-cost tool to evaluate road safety. (A)
Abstract