As an Aspie, do you drive?

[Mr Allen]

Topic.

I had lessons about 3 years before I was formally diagnosed Aspie, after about 6 months the instructor basically turned round and said I'd never pass a test and he felt bad taking my money for lessons, this was in a manual car.

A few years later I applied to the DVLA for a P license, and got turned down, they said due to my disabilities I wouldn't be able to control a car safely, and because I'm Aspie and get mad easily, I'd be a candidate for "Road Rage" (WTF?!)

Has anyone else had this problem? I'm specifically asking UK members, but others can answer if they've also been turned down for similar reasons.

I still think I could have lessons in an Automatic vehicle, but I don't get high enough benefits for a "Motability" vehicle, which would be the only way I'd ever afford a car.

 

[Dan Dan]

I think it depends on whereabouts on the spectrum you are. I know that a lot of aspies can explode, especially when under pressure such as a driving lesson. However im quite a mild tempered aspie and im an extremely fast learner. I took 5 lessons and passed first time about 5 years ago. Suppose it helped that i used to steal my grandma's car and go joy riding when i was young.

 

[Iamnotarabot]

I realize that my english has realy turned bad xD sorry if you cant understand !


Well i got my licence before i realized i might be on the spectrum.

After that i casualy drive my parents' car with them, and thats it, i am a bit anxious about driving on my own and somewhere i dont know to be honest, but now i know myself a little bit better so i know what not to do before driving.

But yeah it was realy realy hard, my parents paid all my lessons, and i think i needed maybe 2 or 3 times more lessons, i had to try 3 times and basically the main reason why i got it the 3rd time was , i think, because the driving examiner took time to reassure me , she said that she wasnt going to trick me etc and it realy helped me.

Well i am not sure yet if i have asperger or not so dont take what I say for 100% granted...

I had to deal with my stress in order to be able to realy "learn" , I had good moments , and i had moments when i suddenly felt realy realy difficult to focus on everything and was realy clumsy .
So,in order to learn effectively, a proper sleep, no cofee or anything energizing; doing nothing stressfull ( like running or biking before going to the lesson, or even sport etc) is recquired.

I know it can be hard if you also have a busy life, my life is almots empty so all i had to do was just sleep , stop cofee, and not using my bike to go to the lesson.

+ I suggest you to spend some time with someone that knows your condition and can maybe help you in learning some tricks, or just driving in a parking lot in order to get used to the very fact of being in a car as a driver ( well at some point you will need to stop because changing car is also a problem for us).

It is a realy a personnal feeling , but, i would say that , driving for me was like driving but on hard mode( like a video game)

You realy need to create habits as a driver, and that's actually something that we like. you need to look around a lot and all have that can be , i mean , each action can become a part of a "process"

I mean, i dont even think, in town, when im near an intersection, ( i mean 2 streets crossing) , i just reduce my speed before everything else, well even before that, i watch behind if i can reduce my speed, you get the point, you need to learn an overall plan of all the basic things

I mean, maybe NT can be more "responsive"or instinctive" , we need to have in mind a "what i have to do" plan for each of the most common situations , I think NT need it also but for use it is more elaborated.

But first, i would say that you need to master realy everything that is related to the mecanical aspect of your car, i mean, first, you need to take your time to know exactly how to take your place in your car.

Then everything that is mechanical , i dont know how to say it well in english, but everything that you do in the car, using the signals, changing speedn shifting braking etc, ecerything need to be automatic for you.
Never look inside of your car while you drive, well during the first lessons you will, but, real soon you need to do that automaticly in order to keep your eyes on the road ( i think an NT can refocus faster than us)

What else can i say...

Well dont be pissed off when you dont drive the same car during different lessons, i mean even if it is the same model they will feel different because they are not in the same state, so dont get pissed by that...

Try to think out loud the less you can, because, maybe it helped me i dont know, but during lessons and even know everything that pops in my head i just cant help it , i say it, but during the examination it can be a problem so try to control it a little.

Overall i think it depends on how much time you can spend, and how much you can afford so i think it can be quickly complicated especially if you fail your first try.

Btw, i am even more certain that my dad is on the spectrum , and he is a realy good driver, that is one of his interest ( he likes car in general, he knows a lot about it even if he never worked in a garage, younger he repaired motorbikes and cars on his own.) Sometimes I just feel that he is a bit harder on the commands but thats it, realy a good driver.


And if the driving school that you have near is blocking you just got somewhere else, personnaly, my parents decided to make me learn in the " most professional" school near, i mean, you know , some driving school are more amateurs than others, i suggest you to avoid them, you need professional that can give you an in deepth method , and you need to learn step by step ,this is very important.

 

[kay]

I am in the US and don't understand what the difference is with getting your license manual or automatic. I drive manual but most people drive automatic and find it weird that I don't. I took my test at 18 with an automatic and learned to drive a manual at 40. Nothing at all to do with my license. Is this all different in the UK?

 

[Sherlock77]

I will add, that I think it's wise to get a driver's license even if you don't have enough money to buy a car, I will tell that to anyone... I know that ultimately it's cheaper not to own a car (speaking as a car owner), I have many expenses, my insurance alone comes fairly close to the cost of a monthly bus pass in my city...

But having a driver's license can open up employment opportunities... Also car sharing is becoming far more common now in many large cities, I have friend's with a license who don't own a car, but make use of Car2Go car sharing... Which of course requires a license...

I choose to drive and own a car because it's convenient, and gets me around... I can fairly quickly run several errands, where taking a bus might take me all day... And where I live in western Canada, our public transit isn't great compared to larger cities of the world... It also allows me to take last minute road trips out of town if I feel like it, and I enjoy driving

 

[Sherlock77]

I am in the US and don't understand what the difference is with getting your license manual or automatic. I drive manual but most people drive automatic and find it weird that I don't. I took my test at 18 with an automatic and learned to drive a manual at 40. Nothing at all to do with my license. Is this all different in the UK?

My understanding is that some countries have a separate license for manual and automatic... I'm like you, learned at age 23 on automatic (Canada), purchased a manual shift car two years later (didn't know how to drive stick), so I learned from a friend, even my dad didn't know how... It's just simply a driver's license... 20 years later I will not buy an automatic unless it's the only option...

 

[xudo]

I am in the US and don't understand what the difference is with getting your license manual or automatic. I drive manual but most people drive automatic and find it weird that I don't. I took my test at 18 with an automatic and learned to drive a manual at 40. Nothing at all to do with my license. Is this all different in the UK?

My understanding is that some countries have a separate license for manual and automatic... I'm like you, learned at age 23 on automatic (Canada), purchased a manual shift car two years later (didn't know how to drive stick), so I learned from a friend, even my dad didn't know how... It's just simply a driver's license... 20 years later I will not buy an automatic unless it's the only option...

So in the UK, if you pass your test in a manual car, you can drive either a manual car or an automatic. If you pass your test in an automatic (as I did) you can only drive an automatic. If I wanted to be allowed to drive a manual, I would need to pass the test in one.

I can drive, but I don't have a car any more so it's only when I use my Mum's car. I chose to learn in an automatic because I knew it would be easier and at the time, I needed to pass relatively quickly. I passed the theory and practical first time (actually the only person in my family to do that haha.)

I would say though that the worst thing about driving is other drivers. You have to be constantly aware and on guard for the idiots.

 

[Southern Discomfort]

Yes, I drive now. Passed back on the 3rd of August last year. Both me and my second cousin who also has Asperger's drives. My instructor said I was one of the best pupils she's taught. Dunno if she says that to all of them, probably not knowing her. I'm quite passive though, I don't get into flights of anger a lot, can't say the same for my cousin; I don't know him well enough to know that.

I don't know. I think it's no different for that of the general population. Some people can drive, others will have a harder time and some just won't be able to do it. There's plenty of neurotypical people out there who just cannot drive.

 

[clg114]

So in the UK, if you pass your test in a manual car, you can drive either a manual car or an automatic. If you pass your test in an automatic (as I did) you can only drive an automatic. If I wanted to be allowed to drive a manual, I would need to pass the test in one.

I can drive, but I don't have a car any more so it's only when I use my Mum's car. I chose to learn in an automatic because I knew it would be easier and at the time, I needed to pass relatively quickly. I passed the theory and practical first time (actually the only person in my family to do that haha.)

I would say though that the worst thing about driving is other drivers. You have to be constantly aware and on guard for the idiots.

I live in the northwest part of the USA, very long way from the UK. It is the same way here. You have to be constantly aware and on guard for the idiots. It is like you are invisible, nobody can see you. They will cut you off, pull out in front of you and try change lanes into you. All because they are not aware of what is going on around them.

 

[kay]

My understanding is that some countries have a separate license for manual and automatic... I'm like you, learned at age 23 on automatic (Canada), purchased a manual shift car two years later (didn't know how to drive stick), so I learned from a friend, even my dad didn't know how... It's just simply a driver's license... 20 years later I will not buy an automatic unless it's the only option...

I hope I never have to go back to automatic. Drove my sister's car to take her to St. Louis and her car is automatic. Just was somehow so hard to stay focused.

 

[Aspie_With_Attitude]

I am currently learning to drive.

 

[Progster]

Yes, I drive, and being an Aspie has never stopped me - though panic attacks and anxiety can limit me, I avoid really busy places.

I get road rage, but usually only affects the unfortunate person next to me who has to hear me cuss and swear as I shout verbal abuse, it doesn't affect my ability to drive.

 

[HappyHermit]

Learned on manual transmission at age 15 (in the US at the time), got my licence on a manual transmission at 16 (also in the US), had to learn to drive gear stick as a young adult back in Europe to get my European licence. I've been driving on my own since I was 16 years old. I prefer gear stick now; I think it gives me more control over the car.

I do find driving somewhat stressful, but it's hard to compare if it's more stressful for me than for NTs. Presumptive NTs loose their **** on the road often enough, too. Add to that that most regions are so densely populated that we're all tripping all over one another the moment we leave the house, and that the roads are so congested now that driving becomes a strategy game... It's generally stressful.

However, public transit is worse overall. The pushing and shoving, the stuffiness, people not knowing what a queue is to save their lives, the stink, the staring, the endless delays and cancellations at the slightest sign of anything but bland weather... I was seriously burnt out after six months of all that, far worse than even from bad traffic.

I have both diagnoses - AS and HFA - from different times in my life. I got the AS diagnosis as an adult because not much about my childhood could be confirmed by outside sources, since I am no-contact with my parents, and the psychiatrist at the time said that any difference (which I know is controversial) would have manifested itself early on, not so much now. Well...

While I know I can pass pretty well (at a high personal cost), I find it somewhat insulting to be called 'high functioning' or 'a mild case'. I know there are people at more extreme ends of the spectrum, but the fact that I function and fly somewhat under the radar takes a massive, MASSIVE cognitive effort - everyday. So, because I know that I can handle driving, I think I know that people who are somewhere near me on the spectrum - the so-called 'mild' Asperger cases, or people with (again) so-called HFA - probably can, too - or at least that it probably isn't their AS/autism that's keeping them from it. I would consider it possible that people at more extreme ends of the spectrum might be able to drive, too - depending on their specific coping abilities. But I have no experience of them, personally. At least that I know of.

But really, I think whether you feel comfortable driving depends on a host of personal factors, and not all of them have to do with autism. I know NTs who don't like driving or flat-out refuse to and never learned.

 

[Judge]

This all has me wondering one thing. Are new manual transmission vehicles even available in Britain? Is it still really a defining issue relative to issuing drivers licenses there? Granted I'm sure there are considerable older models of cars with manual stick-shifts still in operation. Probably more so in Britain than the US.

In the US, auto retailers have all told me it's true. That less than five percent of the new car market is devoted to manual transmissions. Validated by my struggle to buy one last fall. Where after nearly three months Hyundai could not find me one, and Mazda taking a month to get me a 2018 6-speed manual.

It's a running joke here that if you own a manual transmission car, it's the most effective anti-theft device you can have.

I love driving a manual. However like many, learning to drive one didn't come easy. Lucky for me I got my license having been tested in the family automatic.

 

[Iamnotarabot]

I used an automatic transmission vehicle once, it was disturbing to feel the vehicle trying to change speed it took so long xD Maybe I didnt drive it correctly !

I dont realy like how things are going in the car industry, we have a a licence just for automatic transmission , easier to get and ofc cheaper, but you are forced to drive only automatic vehicles, thats pernicious in my opinion, by making a licence easier to get it feels like they want to control the market...

Im a bit worried about autonomous cars also , maybe when they will want to sell it they will create another driving licence just for this car xD

 

[xudo]

This all has me wondering one thing. Are new manual transmission vehicles even available in Britain? Is it still really a defining issue relative to issuing drivers licenses there? Granted I'm sure there are considerable older models of cars with manual stick-shifts still in operation. Probably more so in Britain than the US.

In the US, auto retailers have all told me it's true. That less than five percent of the new car market is devoted to manual transmissions. Validated by my struggle to buy one last fall. Where after nearly three months Hyundai could not find me one, and Mazda taking a month to get me a 2018 6-speed manual.

It's a running joke here that if you own a manual transmission car, it's the most effective anti-theft device you can have.

I love driving a manual. However like many, learning to drive one didn't come easy. Lucky for me I got my license having been tested in the family automatic.

Yes, new manual cars are very readily available in the UK. The vast majority of people I know (including those a decade younger than me) who can drive passed in a manual and drive one too. The only other person I know who can only drive an automatic is my sister, as she thought as I had passed so quickly that it was the better choice. Turned out to not be for her, as it took her 4 attempts to pass her test

 

[clg114]

In my opinion (the grumpy, old mans version), I think that all drivers should be able to drive with a manual transmission and change a flat tire. You never know what is going to happen.

 

[Rayner]

To add to that, You should also have a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, and the basic safety equipment should you break down on the side of the road.

In my opinion (the grumpy, old mans version), I think that all drivers should be able to drive with a manual transmission and change a flat tire. You never know what is going to happen.

 

[LucyPurrs]

To add to that, You should also have a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, and the basic safety equipment should you break down on the side of the road.

That's a good point Rayner, never thought to carry those but think I'll add them to my car. Is there a special kind of fire extinguisher to get?

 

[clg114]

To add to that, You should also have a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, and the basic safety equipment should you break down on the side of the road.

What!! You mean there are people who do not have those basic things in there vehicle? Of course you are right, Rayner. I also like to keep a tool kit in my wife's car. As for my truck, well, it is a service truck.