Aspergers and Driving

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I think Aspergers just enhances the driving experience and sells more cars so it is a good thing for the governement and the auto makers so it is a good thing for all of us even if I break all the rules and go very fast in cars. I am sorry but I forgot what the f*****g question was to begin with.

I have the same problem as Homer_Bob. I drive well as long as I am driving a route I am familiar with. I also tend to stick close to home. It's like I know what to expect and I only have to concentrate on not hitting other cars, I don't have to worry where I have to go.

I've been driving around 10 years now and have never been in an accident.

I remember really struggling with it at first though, but when it clicked it clicked.

However, there are aspects of it I have always found difficult - these relate purely to my lack of spatial awareness: I particularly struggle with reversing and, of course, squeezing into tight spaces

Its another 5 weeks before I'm able to drive.

I used to enjoy driving quite a bit. I even drove an old Chevy S10 manual with the 460 differential, I believe it is, a relatively tough transmission to shift on. Now, I think the nerves of road ragers have spoiled every ounce of passion I ever had for driving. I'm thinking of riding my bike to work, the gym, and anywhere else close by for some period of time to see how much I can reduce my driving, but I'll always keep my driver's license around.

Wow, this is an old thread.

I think I'm a fairly good driver - I do not think my "natural" ability to drive is as good as many people's but I pay attention when I am driving, which makes a big difference.

I do speed in some places - where if I went the speed limit I would wind up in an accident because everyone else is going much faster - but otherwise I don't break the rules as far as I know.

I really do not want to drive because I have trouble staying awake while I am in a moving vehicle and cannot tell my left from my right on the road automatically (I have to take time & use my hands to figure out which is which). I also struggled to learn to ride a bike & can only really ride my mother's mountain bike (every time I get on a new bike I have to "relearn" to ride for some reason). But b/c I have not tried to get my permit & probably will not for a few years or ever at this rate (can't have a car at college anyway & gas/insurance, etc. is too expensive), I only drove once (my parents wanted to see if I should ever even bother to try and drive b4 I considered getting my permit). I did not do that bad, did not hit anything in an empty parking lot, including the light posts! Yeah ! For me, Miss Uncoordinated when combining Body Movements w/ Foreign Objects ( Body/parts + cars, bikes, sometimes even chairs)-I know I'm pathetic . I still don't know how my mom taught me cartwheels & a front limber ? So, for my own & others safety, I plan to avoid driving. Sorry if I sound cliche`

I know one autistic guy from school (we don't really click to well though)who is also learning to drive, he's had his permit for 6 months. But his descriptions of driving frighten me. I also have met another autistic guy in school (spoke w/ him once 4 + yrs. ago, different classes/never see each other) & I have seen him driving (very well in my opinion) while drinking soda & w/ his girlfriend. So I realize it really depends on the person in question when it comes to driving. Trust your instincts in this area. But, if you are like the first guy I mentioned & give your mother whip lash, I would advice (though you can ignore this advice) you to please avoid driving.

I do not drive. I used to and i was a dangerous driver so i quit. I was impulsive and drove very wreaklessly. Also i have terrible depth preception, cant concentrate, and forget what im doing, and was a very clumsy driver. Ive had several people say i am the worst driver theyve ever ridden with and were scared to get in the car with me. I had many tickets and accidents. If i want to drive now i have to have a restricted licence. There are many people with aspergers who can drive fine, but i didnt do too good.

no im not i got my permit 2 years ago and the first time i drove around my neighborhood i popped my dad's tire.
im just too anxious and i really shouldnt be driving.

I've been thinking about...savants. Sometimes on WP there's a topic about autism and savants or someone with savant-like skills in some area. I am good at guessing stuff about people, maybe that could be called "savant-like", still not sure if it really is.
One thing I do that I think is somewhat savant-like is driving a car. I know being able to drive is not that uncommon, but, in retrospect, I wonder about things in my past. Once, I was in a multiple car wreck on an interstate. I was sitting behind another car that was stalled. There was no shoulder and two cars hit mine from behind (they were going pretty fast and totalled my car) and the only injury I had was a small cut on my head they promptly stitched up in the ER. Everyone thought it was really weird. I don't understand it myself or if it has anything to do with "savantism". It is unexplained.
Another strange thing is, I can drive great distances without stopping to rest. Not sure if that's uncommon either. I would say I am an excellent driver, prolly in the top two percent.

I drive, but I hate it. I absolutely hate it. I didn't get my licence until my children hit kindergarten age and I had no choice but to drive them to school (that was 4 years ago). I still get nervous every single time I get behind the wheel, and have huge anxiety if I have to drive somewhere new (which I avoid whenever possible). I am a good driver, as in very, very careful, but I worry constantly that I am doing something wrong and find that it takes a huge amount of energy to remain focused on the road, speed, signs etc.

I never understood why driving was so nerve wracking and exhausting for me, until a.) my sons were both dxed AS and I realized I probably have it too, and b.) started reading about visual processing issues and understood why driving is so overwhelming for me, and impossible to do at night.

interesting theme. I cant drive but have concidered it and have also tried it many years ago- that was awesome. I ran my dads car off the road, made him slightly nervous, lol. Anyway, I have hesitated to take driver lessons because I worry that I cant learn all the rules and signs and mostly to keep track of and cooperate with fellow drivers on the road...and Im hopeless to learn "left and right" properly....but mostly there hasnt really been any need of it. I live in the countrys biggest city so there is plenty of opportunities to get myself where I want mostly anyway..

Obviously I'm too young to drive, but I don't think I will be able to drive. Driving a car would cause problems for me since it would involve me doing stuff that I struggle with.

Took me till about a year ago to become a competent independent driver. I took longer than most because I couldn't handle being taught driving by my dad. He taught everyone in my family to drive (wife, aunts, daughter) but I just couldn't deal with him as a teacher so I became the only one in the family to take driver's ed. (In fact my dad says that this whole driving issues was one of the factors in getting me diagnosed with AS).

Unfortunatly by the time I got a license, it was time for me to go to college and my parents wouldn't let me take a car so I virtually got no driver's experience until after I graduated.

I can drive really well. I've driven on major roads and highways my parents don't even know that I'm capable of driving on. If it were up them, they would drive me to places that would take too long to get to but I am pretty confident that I can do it by myself.

But me and my friend (who also has AS) flat out REFUSE to parallel park! We'll take on highways of death but god help us if we're ever left no choice but to parallel park!

I was 15 1/2 When I started driving school (May of '07) I took the Written in June of that year, Failed, Then July 2 of that Year, Passed, and Later failed 3 driving tests. I thought I drove pretty good. I'm re-applying for my driving permit test Next Wednesday.