Autism and Driving

[Moonhart44]

i have a license but i dont drive because i been in a lot of car accidents. before i was diagnosed it was hard to explain to others. they just see you as lazy, when i see it as, i want to live.

 

[Moonhart44]

i also dont believe video games have any influence on driving, much like how COD doesnt make you better at fighting wars in the military.

 

[Gracey]

I used to get a real buzz out of driving.
Not so much these days.
Everyone else seems to be in such a damn hurry and technology wants to make my decisions for me.

Don't get me wrong, advances in technology are a good thing and make the driving experience a lot easier.

I guess I just prefer the old nuts and bolts, mechanical drive. Unassisted braking and steering meant I could feel what was going on with the car. Forces at work. Make decisions.

My present car is too bossy, tells me when to change gear, switches headlights on and panics when I KNOW I still have an inch or two clear space before I make contact with a stationary object ??!

 

[AprilR]

I am having driving lessons right now but it is so hard because i don't know the roads. I have never paid attention to the direction of the roads so i am always scared.

I also get scared that i am driving too slow and many people don't follow the rules in my country. They drive like madmen, very aggressive and even nt s have problems with the traffic.

 

[theporgsnest]

I don't, but I can't say that I haven't given it a go. I face a conflict because when I'm not overthinking or overstimulated by the many things to think about, I mostly enjoyed the process as well as the independence and sense of achievement it gave me. I'm at a crossroads where I'm not sure whether the issue is me or the transmission; in the UK manual is the default and in my experience learning/driving automatic comes with some stigma (to some, if you aren't physically disabled you basically don't have an excuse and are missing out on the 'fun' of driving stick. It's steadily becoming less stigmatized and more economical too, however). When driving lessons are permitted again I hope to book a few automatic lessons and see whether I cope better without the stress of clutch and changing gears...

Not being able to potentially drive really bothered me for a while, but thankfully I've reach a point of acceptance where if it's not meant to be for me, then that's that (I have a bike, a bus pass and the transport system here is pretty good, so it's not the end of the world)

 

[AspieOtaku]

Im an excellent driver, dont let anxiety take over, relax and youll be fine.

 

[Gift2humanity]

I spent lots of money on driving lessons before giving up.
Traffic is my main problem, moving and being amongst moving traffic.
I find speed and distance very difficult to judge.
I found coordinating the accelerator, brake and clutch while doing all of the other things required in driving really hard.
My second test had to be stopped by the examiner about ten minutes in as he deemed me unsafe to drive. The sweat was literally pouring down my head with nerves.

 

[Penumbra]

I'm great at driving. I even used to drive manual cars when I had one, and I did a lot of long-distance highway driving all the time. I'm just not great at taking care of cars, paying for them, or renewing my driver's license.

 

[AprilR]

I spent lots of money on driving lessons before giving up.
Traffic is my main problem, moving and being amongst moving traffic.
I find speed and distance very difficult to judge.
I found coordinating the accelerator, brake and clutch while doing all of the other things required in driving really hard.
My second test had to be stopped by the examiner about ten minutes in as he deemed me unsafe to drive. The sweat was literally pouring down my head with nerves.

Yeah, i also have problems with measuring distance and the speed of vehicles. When you add the fact that most people in traffic don't follow rules and expect you to instinctually understand their moves it's just too stressful

 

[Gift2humanity]

I wonder if I may have dyspraxia. I think this may, because I’m not sure be common in people on the spectrum as I am very clumsy and poorly coordinators yet I am very good with fine motor skills.

 

[Gift2humanity]

Yeah, i also have problems with measuring distance and the speed of vehicles. When you add the fact that most people in traffic don't follow rules and expect you to instinctually understand their moves it's just too stressful

Yes I decided to give it up especially as the examiner thought I was too unsafe to drive after so many lessons. Sometimes admitting defeat is a positive thing.

 

[AprilR]

I wonder if I may have dyspraxia. I think this may, because I’m not sure be common in people on the spectrum as I am very clumsy and poorly coordinators yet I am very good with fine motor skills.

I am also very clumsy and horrible at sports. When i was a child i had a ball phobia, i was always scared of balls of any kind. Apparently my way of walking is also weird.

I really hate driving but my parents insist so much. It doesn't help that because of the pandemic it has become risky to use public transport.

 

[Gift2humanity]

I am also very clumsy and horrible at sports. When i was a child i had a ball phobia, i was always scared of balls of any kind. Apparently my way of walking is also weird.

I really hate driving but my parents insist so much. It doesn't help that because of the pandemic it has become risky to use public transport.

Although I did not have a ball phobia and like to play with balls on my own I was always rubbish at throwing them and wondered why groups of children playing with balls did not want me to play as I was so poor at sports.
It was my heart desire to be good at sport. I think this comes from a dysfunctional response to my dad, I was a very late Walker who fell down the lot and as I was very smart and bright he highlighted my shortcomings and I’ve got an inferiority complex about being bad at sport.

with regards to walking I have a lot of teasing about my walking I was embarrassed to walk with my hands swinging by my side. I was called names length for Funny Walker and cripple and I was told I look like I had three legs when I walked.

back to drive then maybe Someday it would be nice to get the money to learn to try using a road simulator and get a van to live in in nature.

 

[AprilR]

Although I did not have a ball phobia and like to play with balls on my own I was always rubbish at throwing them and wondered why groups of children playing with balls did not want me to play as I was so poor at sports.
It was my heart desire to be good at sport. I think this comes from a dysfunctional response to my dad, I was a very late Walker who fell down the lot and as I was very smart and bright he highlighted my shortcomings and I’ve got an inferiority complex about being bad at sport.

with regards to walking I have a lot of teasing about my walking I was embarrassed to walk with my hands swinging by my side. I was called names length for Funny Walker and cripple and I was told I look like I had three legs when I walked.

back to drive then maybe Someday it would be nice to get the money to learn to try using a road simulator and get a van to live in in nature.

No one can be good at everything. My dad who is also prob. An aspie is absolutely obsessed with table tennis, but he is really not good at it.

It's so strange how people judge others over unimportant small stuff.. Who even cares how someone walks? My parents also told me the way i walk isn't ladylike whatever that means.

 

[Gift2humanity]

No one can be good at everything. My dad who is also prob. An aspie is absolutely obsessed with table tennis, but he is really not good at it.

It's so strange how people judge others over unimportant small stuff.. Who even cares how someone walks? My parents also told me the way i walk isn't ladylike whatever that means.

The saddest thing was I was very intelligence to the point of being gifted. I also discovered in my 30s that was very good at art. I even remember a girl who wanted me to play with her, no offence to her as she is a Facebook friend but are used to bully me and I wanted us to stay in and draw patterns with full colour pens. I grew up thinking I have nothing to offer the world I remember saying that in an office I worked in as people in there saw me as thick, until they got to know me.

 

[AprilR]

The saddest thing was I was very intelligence to the point of being gifted. I also discovered in my 30s that was very good at art. I even remember a girl who wanted me to play with her, no offence to her as she is a Facebook friend but are used to bully me and I wanted us to stay in and draw patterns with full colour pens. I grew up thinking I have nothing to offer the world I remember saying that in an office I worked in as people in there saw me as thick, until they got to know me.

Growing up, i was always told that i am so intelligent and gifted as well. Even though i never felt like it. I felt my talents were off-balanced tbh.

I am sorry that you felt like you had nothing to offer to the world. But i think no one has the responsibility to make a contribution to the world if they are not feeling well. You should focus on making yourself happy first.