Can People with Asperger's syndrome learn how to drive a Car

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I have not been formally diagnosed with AS yet. So, my answer might not help.

I am another exception. I do not drive though I have a license for driving a manual car. I passed my road test at my first attempt. However, after obtaining my license I decided that I didn't want to drive any more. Driving, for me, is just too scary. It's so overwhelming. Making decisions quickly on such things as whether to turn right or to first let oncoming car(s) go is just too stressful. Not to mention the stress from angry drivers' honking when I hesitate to go quickly. Judging if there is enough space when maneuvering for parking is another cause of stress. There just seem to be so many stress factors associated with driving. I just can't handle them.

Some people around me (particularly colleagues) probably find my choosing not to drive very weird because where I live public transport is not very convenient. It's almost essential to drive here. But I'd rather be weird than stressed.

I suspect this is due to my (yet-to-be-diagnosed) AS. I've always been wondering why I can't drive when almost all the people around me find it so easy. I am an intellectually capable person, but I have some "quirks" that probably make me look like a weird person. Some people also seem to find me somehow intolerable/unapproachable when I have all the good intentions toward them (I'm just mentioning this as one of my many AS symptoms).

It took me 3 years to learn to drive, but I passed in the end. If it wasn't for my intense obsession with the buses, I'd be driving around in a car now.

I wouldn't have driven a car if I could, but in this country, if you want to get anywhere you will have to take the car. My job required that I need to have a license and communications skills. I eventually passed my written exam and then came the nerve racking physical driving test. Even tho I passed, I felt uncomfortable, but eventually after a few months I got confident and understood that each car had its own quirks and you just need to understand the basics. Once you get to know what makes each car different, turning circle, clutch release, their gears etc. It doesn't become a big deal. But it took time. I would say I feel now confident enough to give it a go in any car.

i was driving vehicles by the age of 7 and i always found it to be easy.
i am glad that i learned to drive in vehicles that were not broken down.

we had a rather large property when i was a child and when i was about 10 or so, i used to take my 2 cars (separately) on rally timing laps. one car was a holden hk ute with a 160 cubic inch engine, and the other one was a valiant station wagon with a 245 cubic inch motor.

the holden ute was by far the best vehicle, and i liked to throw it's tail around to make seemingly impossible turns and terrify any passengers i may have had.

it is very easy to connect with the weight and mechanical dynamics of a vehicle for me.

I also have been on the road for over twenty years. I've learned to drive a manual transmission, and was forklift certified for a few years.

I know some people with Asperger's Syndrome that can drive a car and come across as quite careful drivers and quite knowledgeable so yes they can learn how to drive but not everybody can as they might have other health issues that prevents them from driving.

I had about a year's worth of lessons and then I failed my test less than 5 minutes in. I didn't try again after that.

I have a lot of difficulty with awareness of other people and cars around me.

The answer is yes.


It's the NTs who can't drive, but that does not stop them.

In order to put my story in context, I am not sure I have AS (I have some AS traits and some NT ones) but I identify with much of what is being said on this forum and on this thread. I believe both of my parents have AS traits as well.

I posted in another thread that I find driving to be enjoyable and can easily process multiple pieces of information which are part of driving.

Looking back, I remember that I didn't always feel this way about driving. I didn't get my license until I was 24 because I didn't trust my sense of spatial perception. (I had always thought this might be some kind of vision problem, but after reading about AS I think the spatial perception issue may have more to do with this.)

It took me two tries (and endless practice filled with constant anxiety) to pass the road test. It took me another two years (or so) of driving to be comfortable driving on the highway, having passengers in the car, and renting a car other than mine.

I learned how to change lanes on the highway because I was able to hear how close a car was by how the sound of the motor changed as the car passed me. Once I was comfortable judging how far the cars were from me by hearing them, I learned to judge it visually and now do it instinctively.

About five years after I got my license, I decided I was comfortable enough to go on a road trip by myself where my final destination was 18 hours away. Doing that trip showed me that I can do things that no one (including me) thinks I can do. I now am completely comfortable and relaxed behind the wheel, and take every opportunity I can to drive because doing it means a lot to me.

Again, I'm not sure how affected I am by AS, and everyone has to make their own personal decision about driving. For me, I am glad that I kept trying.

I was able to learn to drive a car, and I even drive on some LA freeways when there's a lot of traffic, and crazy drivers. Public transportation doesn't go everywhere that's convenient yet, so driving is a necessity for independence. After all, it has allowed me to get jobs I otherwise wouldn't since a workplace either wasn't accessed by public transportation, or I got off after the local system stopped running for the night.

I was not ready to drive when I was 16, I waited till I was almost 19 to get my license

I waited til I was 20 to start even considering driving...I didn't like the idea.
When I took the exams to get my instruction permit (because you can if you're over 18) I failed the thing 3-4 times and right now I've decided to take a break because although I do want to have my license because I will need it, I don't want to be a driver...I've never driven a car before and I feel that it will be overwhelming. People with Aspergers CAN drive a car but it depends on what difficulties each person with Aspergers has because each is at a different level with different symptoms and severety of symptoms. I just don't understand cars. I just don't. Love riding in them...but I don't think I could handle driving a 2 ton hunk of steel with wheels and share a road with gosh knows who...drunk drivers, teenagers, people just not following the rules, texters...etc. I don't think I'm ready for that type of risk and that might be ONE reason why someone with Aspergers might not want to..or may take longer to get their license...but I believe we can be competent on the road.

Thank you to all for replying.

Not for me.

Oh I've been through driving school and taken the written test multiple times and passed, but for me, it's a different matter.
You see, in addition to AS, I also have ADD. Which is a huge problem in my case because I can't control my mind 24/7 and it wanders uncontrollably, even when I was taking my driving course (years ago, now) it was like this, but at least then it was managable. And it's only gotten worse since then, so driving is definitely out of the question for me.

Can others learn? Probably.