Situational judgement in driver training and assessment: a literature review

Situational judgement testing and commentary driving are two methods that can be used to assess the higher cognitive processes that underlie observed driving behaviours.

The research literature is reviewed, and advice sought from expert police drivers, to assess the suitability of these two methods for use in practical driver training and testing in Great Britain (GB).

First the terms ‘situational judgement’ and ‘commentary driving’ are defined within the driving context.

Situational judgement is defined as ‘the application of driving-related knowledge and behavioural tendencies (e.g. personality, attitudes, beliefs etc.) to the assessment of traffic situations, including knowledge of the appropriate driving behaviours in those situations’, and is distinguished from the related terms of ‘hazard perception’ and ‘situation awareness’.

Commentary driving is defined as ‘the verbalisation of at least some of the driving-related contents of awareness, while actually driving through a situation’.

Key findings from the relevant literatures – related to the practical use of these methods in the GB driver training and testing protocol – are then listed.

It is concluded that neither method is suitable as a ‘pass-fail’ instrument in the practical driving test in GB, although situational judgement testing has considerable promise as a method for use in the driving theory test, as long as good-practice procedures for test creation are followed.

The focus of situational judgement testing should be on the assessment of safe ‘behavioural tendencies’ in driving as well as ‘knowledge’ of what constitutes safe and appropriate behaviour.

It is suggested that commentary driving would not be suitable for learner drivers while they are in control of the vehicle, due to possible deleterious effects on driving performance