Driving

[RemyZee]

Was wondering if people here have challenges with driving. As time goes by it gets harder and even though some people say it's in my head. I believe it's a sensory issue--I don't have a problem when there isn't an open horizon, and I think it's because visually things appear to be going slower or faster depending on how close I am to something, so visually it's disorienting and it makes me dizzy.

 

[Suzanne]

I did take some lessons once and was told that I could be a good driver, but only with an automatic, as I am unable to multitask, but sadly, too expensive to go forward and thus, remain a non driver, which makes me feel demoralised.

I am already having to be dependant, due to suffering severe agoraphobia, but it is worse, because of not having a licence.

There are many drivers on here, so I am suprised no one has answered your post.

 

[MildredHubble]

I find driving is something that I can be hyper focused on and I feel better when I'm doing it. I do have some worry if I'm not feeling great (depression, anxiety, lack of sleep) but once I sit in the driver's seat I seem to go into a flow/focused state.

I don't enjoy town traffic particularly, there's a lot of people who seem to have the act of driving quite low on their list of priorities when piloting a ton of metal at speed. But when I'm on the motorway/highway and I can just focus on what's ahead and plan my actions its I guess like a meditative state for me.

I think this likely happened due to working shifts and being half asleep at the end of the day. Something about the act of driving seems to bypass that tiredness and keeps me alert. As soon as I'm in the car my brain switches tracks and I can just focus.

Unfortunately fuel is expensive, and I don't have much money. If that wasn't an issue I'm sure I'd probably just go for a drive when things are getting on top of me.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Was wondering if people here have challenges with driving. As time goes by it gets harder and even though some people say it's in my head. I believe it's a sensory issue--I don't have a problem when there isn't an open horizon, and I think it's because visually things appear to be going slower or faster depending on how close I am to something, so visually it's disorienting and it makes me dizzy.

Whether you are having these issues, you are easily distracted, or if the steering wheel and pedals are simply in your way (sarcasm) because you are eating, playing on your phone or infotainment system, whatever, auto manufactures are developing driver's assistance systems for driver's safety. In 2023, most of these systems are "drivers assistance", not autonomous, per se, (still require driver awareness) but having used these systems on my vehicles, I can tell you with all certainty, that having the car do basic functions, 360* cameras and sensors, your stress levels drop and your ability to pay attention to your environment (situational awareness) is enhanced. Studies examining this have shown a several-fold improvement in accident statistics, and I am inclined to believe this with my own experiences.

Furthermore, despite all the mainstream news FUD (fear-mongering) articles on the topic of autonomous driving software, the vast majority of these tragic events blaming this technology are ultimately dismissed as the data recorders clearly demonstrate driver inputs causing the accident, not the software. The number of events actually caused by the software are incredibly rare and as the software is continuously improved with updates, its becoming more rare. Things are improving quickly. At any rate, there WILL come a day, not that far into the future, likely within 10 years, that robo-taxis in metropolitan areas will be part of our daily lives and we won't have to think about actually owning or driving a car. There are huge financial incentives for everyone involved. Many people will not have to own/lease a vehicle,...you'll just "call for a car". Human beings are THE major cause of automobile accidents, deaths, and injuries. When cameras and sensors around the car can "see" 360*, even in otherwise poor visibility conditions, the computer reacts quicker than the human brain, like orders of magnitude faster. The next step is vehicle-to-vehicle communication adding a layer of safety. On average, a personal vehicle will spend roughly 90% of the time parked. If the vehicle is in motion most of the day, and only parked say 20% of the time, the value of the vehicle has a much higher value. Taxi fleet owners understand this concept. Now, if you are a taxi fleet owner, and now are looking at EV robo-taxis, the vehicle maintenance costs drop by nearly 75% and you don't have to pay a driver. As this transition occurs, the need for vehicles will eventually taper off, and may actually diminish. Huge parking lots will no longer be needed. Not to mention electric air taxis are looking to take a chunk of the ground taxi business, by actually coming in cheaper per mile than ground taxis! There's a huge transition in our transportation system that we've only scraped the surface in 2023, and most people have no idea of, but the future of personal mobility looks quite bright, especially for people who, for any number of reasons, are experiencing difficulties.

It's a great opportunity for investors right now looking to get in cheap with growth stocks in this realm.

 

[Jumpinbare]

My main issue with driving is related to my mild narcolepsy. If I sit comfortably for more than a few minutes with minimal activity (like open road driving), I start falling asleep. I have to stay busy when I drive. I have a large mp3 collection for the stereo, and my car is basically a rolling Ham Radio station, so I can talk all over the world when I'm not doing the music thing.
Of course, I Hate congested traffic. I will go 50 miles out of my way if I can keep moving vs stop and go.
I only buy vehicles with manual transmission. That helps keep me busy and therefore alert while driving. It doesn't seem like multi-tasking. It sort of makes it seem as if the car is an extension of my body.

 

[Chailatte_]

Today, I just sold my car. I've always had "issues" with driving, in the sense that it feels like my gaze "sticks" to a point, and "unsticking" it requires a tremendous effort, which stresses me out. Additionally, I'm stressed by people not maintaining proper safety distances, honking horns, rude individuals, parking maneuvers – driving presents too many stimuli. Moreover, I never understand how much space I'm actually occupying, creating anxiety because I fear invading others' lanes. In mountainous roads without a well-defined limit, I would always avoid them, and if I had to navigate, it would accumulate so much stress that I'd have a nerve crisis. As soon as the road layout changes, my mind goes into tilt and paranoia, as if it needs to reprogram its patterns. I should add that the stress I experienced in the car was so intense that upon reaching my destination, I'd turn around and go home because the stress was so much that it prevented any social interaction. The car, in my opinion, is an unnecessary sensory overload.

The only car I can handle has a 360-degree camera and is automatic, but it doesn't eliminate the other issues. So, I've opted to move around with an electric bike, saving me a lot of unnecessary stress. I've always had all of this, but before the diagnosis, I thought it happened to everyone.

In conclusion, I think (in my case) the only reason I shouldn't have sold my car would have been solely for societal status. Yes, I got my driver's license, but had I known before my diagnosis, I would have used that money for something else. I repeat, "social" status is not a priority over my health, and it's based on "social" standards that change too often. Unfortunately, in my opinion, people, to keep up with these standards, spend too much money and compromise their health. I won't delve further into the social status issue because I could talk about it for the next two months (I'm not being sarcastic).

 

[GrownupGirl]

I never learned how to drive. Yet another thing that makes me a total failure at being an adult. I hate how car-dependent Canada is, you really can't go anywhere that's slightly decent without a car.

 

[mysterionz]

I don’t drive currently. I feel uncomfortable being behind the wheel of a car.

 

[Forest Cat]

robo-taxis in metropolitan areas will be part of our daily lives and we won't have to think about actually owning or driving a car.

Such a sad and disturbing thought. I enjoy driving and I would like to own a large car collection. We will still be allowed to own and drive cars if we want to I hope.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

I'm very good at driving.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Such a sad and disturbing thought. I enjoy driving and I would like to own a large car collection. We will still be allowed to own and drive cars if we want to I hope.

I think so. I think this will be the experience of the metropolitan areas initially, as traffic congestion, parking, and mobility issues are more common. Nothing happens overnight, and ultimately, for most capitalistic societies, these things are market-driven.

 

[RemyZee]

Today, I just sold my car. I've always had "issues" with driving, in the sense that it feels like my gaze "sticks" to a point, and "unsticking" it requires a tremendous effort, which stresses me out. Additionally, I'm stressed by people not maintaining proper safety distances, honking horns, rude individuals, parking maneuvers – driving presents too many stimuli. Moreover, I never understand how much space I'm actually occupying, creating anxiety because I fear invading others' lanes. In mountainous roads without a well-defined limit, I would always avoid them, and if I had to navigate, it would accumulate so much stress that I'd have a nerve crisis. As soon as the road layout changes, my mind goes into tilt and paranoia, as if it needs to reprogram its patterns. I should add that the stress I experienced in the car was so intense that upon reaching my destination, I'd turn around and go home because the stress was so much that it prevented any social interaction. The car, in my opinion, is an unnecessary sensory overload.

The only car I can handle has a 360-degree camera and is automatic, but it doesn't eliminate the other issues. So, I've opted to move around with an electric bike, saving me a lot of unnecessary stress. I've always had all of this, but before the diagnosis, I thought it happened to everyone.

In conclusion, I think (in my case) the only reason I shouldn't have sold my car would have been solely for societal status. Yes, I got my driver's license, but had I known before my diagnosis, I would have used that money for something else. I repeat, "social" status is not a priority over my health, and it's based on "social" standards that change too often. Unfortunately, in my opinion, people, to keep up with these standards, spend too much money and compromise their health. I won't delve further into the social status issue because I could talk about it for the next two months (I'm not being sarcastic).

This is similar to my experience of driving. It's as though whenever I change my field of vision it's disorienting, especially when there's an open road rather than driving through a town or wooded area. Funny thing is I used to love driving. Somehow something happened.

 

[Chailatte_]

I also experience more difficulty in open spaces, like highways when changing lanes or overtaking. In the city, I have fewer issues with this 'fixed gaze.' When I had a motorcycle, I didn't have these problems, I wonder why.

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

I learned to drive at 16 and don't have trouble driving. I can drive stick shift, but few cars are made that way. I prefer driving in the country where there is little traffic, but I can negotiate some serious metropolitan traffic. I drove more than 6000 miles this summer on my trip from Florida to Saskatchewan.

If I start getting sleepy, I will immediately get off the road and take a cat nap if necessary. If there is no place to get off I will slap my face, hard, if necessary, to keep me awake. Of course, I already have radio or Pandora or other collection on for audio stimulation. But sometimes that is not enough.

 

[FoxLovinPat]

I don't really have troubles driving, I was able to learn to drive just fine at the typical time for it (16 iirc). However I really only drive in my local area as driving outside of places I'm familiar with makes me nervous which ofc means I don't get around very much. I basically just drive myself to and from work, to the store, and occasionally to my parent's house to visit them.
I also tend to get rather anxious driving on the interstate and tend to stick to the rightmost lane and don't really change lanes unless it's required due to lanes peeling off into exits. Like pretty much the entire time I'm driving on the interstate I've got this anxious nervous feeling about it. I recently had to take the interstate to visit family for Thanksgiving and yep I was definitely anxious on the way there and back, I actually left early so that I wouldn't have to drive it at night because that makes me even more anxious.. I can drive at night in town just fine though.

Oh also I don't like dealing with traffic and try to avoid it when I can, for example in the town I live in I can use side routes to get around the main ones in order to get to where I'm going but ofc that's not always an option. I'm also a very safe driver that obeys the rules of driving, I don't speed for example whereas it seems everyone else in the road does. Heck sometimes I'm probably too safe, giving people the right of way when I technically had it or waiting too long at a stop to turn because I don't want to go if I feel the cars are too close despite there actually being a good time to turn. I've had plenty of times where I'm like "Darn I probably could've turned there actually." while I'm waiting for another opening to turn.

Oh also I really don't understand why people get road rage, my father is unfortunately prone to it so It could be unpleasant at times to be in the car when he's driving because he'll just cuss at the other drivers, flip them off, and honk his horn. Whereas I'm calm and collected when I drive even when other drivers do stupid and/or dangerous stuff. What's even the point of doing that anyways? I can understand honking to get their attention and tell them "Hey you're being a danger!" but cussing them out? Umm why? How does that help? I mean they probably can't hear you anyways unless both vehicles have their windows down and are within hearing distance.

 

[mysterionz]

Traffic can be unbearable sometimes

 

[Judge]

Was wondering if people here have challenges with driving. As time goes by it gets harder and even though some people say it's in my head.

Hearing so much feedback from autistic people over the years, I'm inclined to think that many of us have deficits in terms of things like multitasking. A skill one definitely needs while driving in any number of conditions.

I think of this a lot every time I pull up to the mail kiosk where I live. You have to go through a roundabout (circle) to get there. Going in I just have to check to the left, then to the right. However when I back out, I actually have to consider traffic potentially coming and going from four different directions. Which can be taxing to say the least. And of course the older I get, the slower my reflexes are likely to become.

I'm just grateful to have radar in my car that warns me of traffic coming at me from behind, or left or right at more than 180 degrees. In other words, it "sees" the blind spots I can't.

 

[Jumpinbare]

I'm also a very safe driver that obeys the rules of driving, I don't speed for example whereas it seems everyone else in the road does. Heck sometimes I'm probably too safe, giving people the right of way when I technically had it or waiting too long at a stop to turn because I don't want to go if I feel the cars are too close despite there actually being a good time to turn. I've had plenty of times where I'm like "Darn I probably could've turned there actually." while I'm waiting for another opening to turn.

That's me as well. I drive in the right or center lane at exactly the speed limit. People who can't handle driving at or below the maximum speed permitted by law just need to chill out. If they have an emergency, that's what the passing lane is for. I hear people all the time saying "if you don't keep up with the pack, they'll run you over". Horse patooties! I've never had it happen in 50+ years of driving.

 

[RemyZee]

Doesn't help either to constantly lose track of where i leave my car in the parking lot and also regularly get lost. Lol.

 

[Jumpinbare]

Doesn't help either to constantly lose track of where i leave my car in the parking lot and also regularly get lost. Lol.

I thought that was just me