anyone else have trouble driving?

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i only have trouble driving in cites and when im in an unfamiliar vehicle. so the past few days yes i have trouble driving, just got a new car >_<... i miss my old car.

My driving skills feel like they vary from day to day. Can relate to the "mental fog" some of you describe, which I especially get after a day at work. Because of that I usually take the bus to work. Driving in the city is harder than rural areas, sometimes it feels like being in a carnival. I just got an automatic gear drive, its amazing! Can focus fully on the traffic rather than gearing and clutching.

One thing I have noticed is that I struggle very much with sharp contrasts - like in tunnels, trees shading the road in patterns, or driving in the dark with other cars coming towards me. It feels like I loose balance, I'm drawn towards the light of the cars. People who ride with me has noticed to, that I make a lot of small stearing movements in these situations. It really is like balancing a thin line sometimes. After a long winter in the dark I saw how much greater I drive in daylight when contrasts are milder, so perception is really an issue for me in driving.

I've tried driving and admittedly, I'm terrified of it. Simply driving around a parking lot makes me feel like I'm on a roller-coaster.

I've had people tell me it becomes less scary when I get used to it, though.

Driving scares the hell out of me. Too many uncontrollable variables and not a lot of confidence in being able to sort them out at short notice.

I know this is irrelevant, but some of my scariest nightmares involve having to drive a car from one place to another

I'm the opposite. I am a very comfortable driver; I enjoy it and like the mobility it provides. I've had a lot of accidents over the years, though. I will occasionally have strange lapses in my driving, like I will just run a red light without realizing it was red. I especially have difficulty driving in an unfamiliar area, where I find I have trouble reading the road names on the signs and will sometimes miss the regulation signs, even the STOP signs.

I got my learner's permit when I was 16 and my full driver license at 17 (on my birthday!).

I don't have any trouble driving, but it did take me a year to learn, with my husband calmly sitting in passenger seat. Now I love driving, the freedom it gives me from having to use public transport, being able to leave wherever I am whenever I want. I have a few issues though. I can't listen to a new CD or the radio, far too distracting, it has to be very familiar or nothing at all. I struggle to hold a conversation while driving for the same reason. And if someone opens the window it is the end of the world, too loud, makes me panic and I'll stop the car. Also, I have zero sense of direction! I always drive the same route to familiar places and if I have to go somewhere new I use a sat nav and drive slowly as need time to process the instructions.

Dont mean to be an ass but I love driving, its so easy for me. I like to blast music and lower the windows (although sometimes I get uncomfortable because I feel that people are more likely to see me and cuz they'll hear my music).

I hope to feel that way someday.

I see what you mean, though I keep my windows up when I play music or something else. Sometimes, I just like to drive around while playing the same song or part of a song or TV show over and over. It makes for a very enjoyable time.

When I know the route extremely well and have done it many, many times, then I can love driving, as long as nothing stressful happens (sudden breaking, cyclists etc). However, I generally find it very stressful and some of my times of highest anxiety and panic have been while driving. Motorways are the absolute devil to me!

Since my last post - you know, where I tensed up like a mother****** at the thought of driving - I've found a way to practice driving that lowers my anxiety a little bit, teaches me, AND allows me to enjoy it a little:

Step 1 - I bought and downloaded "Assetto Corsa" from Steam
Step 2 - I set up my Steam Controller for Gyro joystick mode in the game
Step 3 - I downloaded a nice little 11 km French track with narrow, curvy roads in the mountains (probably somewhere around the Ardennes I would imagine)
Step 4 - I profited GREATLY from being able to drive in a fairly realistic driving/racing sim on a lovely track (and yes, I even get a little anxious, but it's STILL better than actually driving)
Bonus Step - I plan on getting a VR headset at some point to complete the experience

After I've practiced long enough and I have enough money saved up, I'll likely take a class (both in-classroom on on-the-road), get my license, and just shut up and drive!

You get that feeling at first. It feels like your doing 100 when it's actually 10 but this is because your so on edge with all the things you have to remember on top your surroundings and that you are actually in control of it all. It's better with instructors I found when learning as I knew they would stop the car if I did something stupid.

I love driving it's the freedom and convenience it gives you. Also for me it works out cheaper than public transport and I drive a 3 litre sports car I only get 17-18mpg UK (14-15mpg US). And also having something which is just mine and nobody else can use unless I give permission is a huge plus point

I don't have trouble with driving when actually just in my car alone, dealing with the experience and with my route, etc etc.

But I've had problems passing my test because I get completely messed up by someone sitting there TELLING me what to do.

When I'm all alone in my car, my whole focus is able to go toward what I'm doing (in operating the car), and where I'm going. I can make smooth decisions or changes of decision/route. I can handle things. I can adjust to a change of route, something in the road, roadworks etc. I never had GPS and I used just a paper map-book to plot my own course.

But put me in a car with someone saying "Turn left in 200 yards, pull up over here when you can, take this or that lane" -- it fcks me up. I makes mistakes like forgetting to look in my mirror, stuff I would never forget if the decision to make that action was my own decision.

So test situations fck up my mind. I lose the full ability to do the things I always do when it's my own thought process.

Yep....back-seat drivers!

They distract me to no end!

I see hallucinations 24/7, so driving anywhere would be most unwise, and potentially dangerous for both myself and everyone else.

I call/flag a black cab (Edinburgh's version of a taxi) if I want to go anywhere, their relatively cheap for how readily available and convenient they are. They also have 24 hour access to lanes and routes that normal vehicles aren't usually allowed to use, or only have restricted access to at certain times.