anyone else have trouble driving?

Post Reply New Topic

I'm 33 years old and I got my first driver's license just 2 months ago. I never felt the "need" to have a car. If I wasn't "forced" by circumstances, I would never buy one. That alone made me an oddball in the eyes of most people I know.

Now I found out that I am actually a good driver...

I have yet to get my license. I've practiced once I had my permit, but I wasn't very good at it.

I'm told I'll get better if I keep at it, but I don't think I will.

I became jealous of many of my classmates in high school as they were obtaining their driver's licenses, receiving cars, and obtaining jobs. I received my permit two days before my 17th birthday in November 2005 and I have yet to upgrade to a regular driver's license more than five years later.

My dad was teaching me to drive with my mom's 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis, which is a huge car. Despite its size, they told me that it would make driving a smaller car a cinch. On many Sundays, he has taken me driving in a rural area near Pratt and Whitney's South Florida offices. These days, he still takes me driving in that area, but in his 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe. I tend to get distracted very easily behind the wheel and that has hindered my progress in driving a car, as well as the fact that I was in a near-fatal car accident when I was five.

If I get in the car I have to drive. I get way to anxious when other people drive and I am not in control.

I got my license when I was around 20. I was also forced to get it. Before I got my license I use to have the worst anxiety dreams about driving. Even after I started driving I still had the anxiety dreams. But those faded and I can drive when needed. I utterly hate it, but I am no longer anxious about driving. It just took a long, long time to get over....

I am scared to death of driving. It makes me feel crappy because almost everyone my age has their license and I don't even have my permit. IDk...people my age just freak me out when they drive anyway. I don't see how can they can talk to their friends, text on their phone, and change the radio 50 billion and still focus and not crash....plus I have trouble focusing in general. IDK....I have to get my license sometime though, before college (I have 2 years left). It's going to suck....and I don't have a choice because I live in the middle of nowhere so there's no public transportation. I've driven a few times and I was either swerving everywhere or all tensed up and kept jerking the wheel-or both. Yeah, I don't think me and cars are going to go well together. Plus I get nervous really easily and I'm always scared that I'll crash or I'll do something illegal without knowing it and get in trouble.

No, I'm pretty good at driving. I just have very small hiccups occasionally if you know what I mean, such as not looking enough when I'm in the busy streets of Halifax. I scared my sister a few times, ha ha ha.

But then again, my family is very nearvous when there in the car in spite that I'm a good driver. I'll be 20 feet away from a vehicle and as soon as they see the brake lights, they say slow down. They alse say that I speed up before coming to a stop which isn't true.

I started driving earlier this year. Passed the first time on both my written and driving skills test. I feel I do alright for the most part. I don't particularly care to have to switch lanes or get on the motorway (I-70, I-465, etc). I can drive the motorway safely enough, but I find it annoying (it's a given you almost always have to change lanes at least a few times) and rather unpleasant. Unless I absolutely have to, I generally avoid it and drive through town. I'm not overly fond of rush hour traffic, but I can deal with it well enough. I have a little anxiety about driving in the winter when things get icy and snowy, but with some common sense and taking it a bit slow at times I should be alright. I'm a bit awkward at reverse parking (parallel parking), but in reality who isn't? Anyway, the more I drive the less tense and anxious I am and the better and smoother I get.

Oh, almost forgot, I'm also a speed limit stickler and go exactly the speed limit (to the consternation of many drivers). It seems most folks prefer to go about five miles over the speed limit regardless of what's posted. I have yet to figure out what drives this phenomenon. Must be a NT thing that has gone over my head.

I find driving very difficult because it's hard for me to pay attention to two or more moving things at once.

I'm fine if I'm staying in my lane, but if I have to change lanes, I have to be aware of the cars coming up behind me in the lane I want to move into, cars traveling next to me, and the car in front of me in the lane I'm currently in, and I can't do it unless traffic is light. Same with making left turns, when I have to be aware of cars coming from several direction in order to catch the moment when all directions are clear and I can turn.

I'm also afraid when other people are driving because I always think other cars are too close or moving too fast to safely navigate around them, which makes me think that my actual perception of how fast something is moving and how close it is is different from other people's.

I don't like paying attention for long periods of time which is. Required to drive with....but. I CAn drive. I just rather'd use bike or whatever else where I don't....uh.

I passed my driving test 3 days before writing this, 2nd attempt

One problem I find it that my priorities are not in a good order, I reckon likely due to Asperger's syndrome:

e.g. the car in front slows quickly and instead of doing the same, I'm too concerned with braking softly (for comfort) so I get so close to the guy in front, I can't understand how I didn't hit him

Then I become very anxious for the whole rest of the drive when I'm normally relatively calm.

I also can't look people in the eyes so I don't let them out of side roads when there's lots of traffic (not being a generous guy) and I don't look to see if they're letting me out in opposite situation

I find talking about autism and talking about driving both very interesting so reply to me anything you guys find difficult because I'd like to hear about it!

(Also, when I first started driving, my poor motor neurone coordination - physical awkwardness - made it difficult but I've overcome a lot of that)

I really enjoy driving, but I have problems with certain things...like when entering a busy road, it's hard for me to judge how far away an oncoming vehicle is and how fast it's coming, especially crossing multiple lanes of traffic (totalled a car last year because of this).

I also have problems with driving around in downtown areas, especially when there are lots of pedestrians and/or cyclists around. Basically the more things that are moving in different directions, the harder it is to process. I do fine driving at high speeds out on the open road.

In the first few years after I started driving, had horrible problems with backing the car up and had a lot of mishaps with it.

I have days where I just feel so mentally foggy while I'm driving, it feels sort of unreal like I'm playing a video game, or dreaming, instead of driving a real, physical object, and I have to keep reminding myself that it's real.

I got my permit back in August. Immediately after, I looked for a decent driving school and found one. The instructor was incredibly patient and understood about my balance problems due to Meniere's (I didn't mention autism - I am still self-diagnosed, and am never sure how people are going to react). When I was talking out loud to myself while learning techniques (steering, braking, etc.), he said that he encourages all of his students to do that to remind themselves of what they are doing. It was nice to be assigned to someone who doesn't see that as strange/a liability, but a helpful strategy.

As the lessons progressed, I became very discouraged because I have a serious problem multitasking and could not relax while driving at all - every time, my entire body tensed up and I was left aching in every muscle for two or three days after. I wanted to give up, but he encouraged me to keep trying.

I passed his test (parallel parking and all, somehow) on October 19, and have the certificate. That might be enough for the MVD, but I might have to take a road test with them...which I haven't gone to do.

I still can't see how driving can become "natural" for ANYONE. It seems like I would constantly have to be reviewing what to do, every single time, just to go to the store a few blocks away. Not sure I'll ever really enjoy it (and I hope I still remember stuff), but I figured I'd better know how in case of an emergency, if nothing else.

If you can afford it (this wasn't cheap), I would recommend getting a professional instructor. They are probably going to be more patient with you than a friend or family member.

I was an alright driver, but I hate it so I use public transportation. I live in a city with good bus service so I'm fine.

Nope, can't drive. Tried a number of times over my 50+ years but there is just too much going on around me and my reaction time is very slow. It's my one real regret because it would have made my life so much easier.

Some Aspies have no problem driving, but I do. It took me until I was 30 to bother to learn. That's not so much of a problem here in the UK as it would be in the States. I was dyspraxic growing up, late learning most things requiring co-ordination. I never realised how hard it was till I tried, simultaneously tracking so many other people on the roads while knowing exactly where your hands and feet are. Ordinary people seem to think it's easy, they talk or listen to music at the same time. The same normal people that find maths, languauges or learning musical instruments difficult, things that are relatively easy for me. My wife knows I'll agree to anything if she asks me while I'm driving.

But I've been driving for 30 years since then with no accidents and a clean licence, which is the bottom line I suppose.

---------------

Author of 'At Home Abroad'
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1507565372