Driving

[Pondering]

Considering the fact that coordination is often an issue for aspies in general, do you consider driving a difficult task? How do you feel about it? If you currently drive, how long did it take before you were comfortable operating a vehicle on your own? Is the amount of information that comes at you while driving overwhelming? How old were you when you learned to drive?

 

[kay]

I nearly 40 before I was comfy enough even though I got my license at 18. For the first 20 years I couldn't find intersections, stopped at all traffic lights because I couldn't process green from red fast enough, drove about ten miles an hour in town when I was brave enough to drive in town. Was fairly ok on highways, particularly rural western ones. Anyhoo, I am not sure what happened but finally I learned to sort through everything. Perhaps a combination of google maps and satellite and trying to learn violin. Even learned manual transmission and am convinced I do better with that then I ever did automatic.

Most of the time I do well enough but occasionally I have went into brief shut-downs and screwed up a bit. Only seems to happen with passengers so there is help with me but also suggest it's having passengers that may be a bad idea for me. One person in the car doesn't seem to cause as much a problem as three. Not sure why because it doesn't seem to matter if person number three is awake or asleep.

 

[Gracey]

No problem whatsoever.

It was an exciting challenge. Loved everything about it.
How the forces worked to move the vehicle.
The rules of the road.
Paper maps.
Cambers, gradients, bends of the road and how they affected the drive.

Finding out ‘what happens if...’?

Judging speed and distance of other road users.

I was at my happiest when driving.
(Before OCD, fear and menopause)

 

[Otenba]

I drive both a car and a motorcycle. I did get my licence later than most people but that wasn't because of possibly being autistic. It was because my other disability can affect how I am. I am on a 3 year full driving licence because of society attitudes towards my disability.

 

[Nitro]

Started on a riding mower at 6,graduated to a go-cart by age 7 and bought and drove my first car at 14.
Built my first high performance vehicle the same year using parts from my first car.

I street raced since highschool,was Bondurant competition roadrace schooled after graduation, went semi-legit and became a NHRA participant at 30.

This could be my anthem because I drove a '69 Chevy El Camino SS396 4 on the floor when I turned 17

Ever uncomfortable driving?
You're kiddin' me,right?

 

[Mattymatt]

Considering the fact that coordination is often an issue for aspies in general, do you consider driving a difficult task? How do you feel about it? If you currently drive, how long did it take before you were comfortable operating a vehicle on your own?

I do well with driving in general. I can even drive a big rig, albeit not really well unless it has an automatic transmission. Manual transmissions on a big rig require some serious coordination that I don't have.

 

[Nitro]

I do well with driving in general. I can even drive a big rig, albeit not really well unless it has an automatic transmission. Manual transmissions on a big rig require some serious coordination that I don't have.

Wait til you get your hands on an old two stick truck

 

[tlc]

I never had a problem actually driving the vehicle. Even driving a stick shift. I drove lawnmowers, 3 wheelers, snowmobiles before that. Everything in the vehicle is under my control.

But as with other things, get too many people around me being crazy and I start to shut down. You just start to know what places to avoid at what times, as every other local pretty much does.

The town I started driving in had 400 people. Nearby city was 3000. That was ok usually. A little farther and bigger city (that supported itself year round) was maybe 6000. That was fine due to plenty of alternative routes. The BIG city was 15000 people, you'd go there only if you really had to and it was a traffic nightmare. My daughter lives on the edge of Grand Rapids, thankfully I can sneak in on the side roads. I couldn't even fathom a place like Chicago, LA, NY. When I passed thru the area south of Chicago last year, I insisted I do it late at night.

I've had to drive in larger cities and I always tried to take side roads whenever possible. I do horribly on large freeways with many interchanges close together where there's no time to move or think, just try to avoid getting hit.

 

[Gracey]

I do well with driving in general. I can even drive a big rig, albeit not really well unless it has an automatic transmission. Manual transmissions on a big rig require some serious coordination that I don't have.

The older the heavy goods vehicle, the more of a challenge, which was something I enjoyed once.

Doubling the clutch to maintain engine speed whilst shifting a manual up was a skill. (Useful uphill)
A manual wagon lumbered along anyway so there was plenty of time to double the clutch.

Some of the really old manual, petrol Army land rovers didn’t need the clutch to be depressed in order to shift up. (The ones with the really whining transmission)
If you took it to it’s screaming maximum in a gear and quickly changed up, (without clutch) it let me.
I never did work out how that happened. (Something to do with the gate)
Someone else showed me so of course I had to try it.

 

[Nitro]

The older the heavy goods vehicle, the more of a challenge, which was something I enjoyed once.

Doubling the clutch to maintain engine speed whilst shifting a manual up was a skill. (Useful uphill)
A manual wagon lumbered along anyway so there was plenty of time to double the clutch.

Some of the really old manual, petrol Army land rovers didn’t need the clutch to be depressed in order to shift up. (The ones with the really whining transmission)
If you took it to it’s screaming maximum in a gear and quickly changed up, (without clutch) it let me.
I never did work out how that happened. (Something to do with the gate)
Someone else showed me so of course I had to try it.

If you synchronize each gear properly,you don't ever need to use a clutch for anything other than to get a vehicle moving.
Big truck transmissions do not have synchronized transmissions in them and are shifted clutchless after the truck gets rolling.


The whine you speak of in the Land Rovers had straight cut gears in them that were made that way for strength.
The gears in quiet synchromesh transmissions are not noisy in operation but also place lateral strain on the drive components which can cause premature failure under excessive loads like that which could be encountered in a panic situation on a battlefield.

The General Motors used a Muncie built 4 speed in many of their cars they sold during the musclecar era. The only 4 speed transmission option for their highest performance models came equipped with the M22 model that were given the nickname of a rockcrusher. A truly bullet proof gearbox.
They were straighter cut geared so they didn't wedge the aluminum housings apart and whined like an older truck transmission,but your competition knew exactly what kind of drive equipment you were working with just by their unique sound.

 

[Gracey]

Thank you.


A 30 year old question answered.
Much obliged.

 

[AO1501]

No problem whatsoever.

It was an exciting challenge. Loved everything about it.
How the forces worked to move the vehicle.
The rules of the road.
Paper maps.
Cambers, gradients, bends of the road and how they affected the drive.

Finding out ‘what happens if...’?

Judging speed and distance of other road users.

I was at my happiest when driving.
(Before OCD, fear and menopause)

So this!!!

Well, not the OCD, fear and menopause.

 

[the_tortoise]

I don't have a driver's license at this point, so I don't drive.

The motor coordination part of driving is not a problem for me -- the divided attention part is extremely challenging, though.

I view driving as a mentally taxing challenge and the ability to drive as an extremely useful skill that opens doors in life.

 

[InfinityRose]

Oh God, driving...

Well, I've had my permit for years if that counts, but I still don't have my license, and rarely ever drive. My goal is to get one as soon as possible, but honestly if I had public transportation where I live (which I don't) I probably wouldn't even bother. I do have a lot of spacial issues, problems making fast decisions, and get nervous from loud noises, so that probably doesn't make me the ideal driver.

However, another reason I don't have a license is that I don't have anyone to teach me. My high school didn't have driver's ed, private lessons are too expensive (something like $50 an hour), my mom works all the time, and I don't have any siblings or friends that can help either.

So, I'd say autism probably plays a part with my poor coordination and spacial skills, but it's definitely not the only reason.

 

[SusanLR]

I wish I lived where I never had to drive.
A golf cart maybe.
I learned to drive with a private instructor at age 21.
Driving has always made me anxious and the heavier the traffic, the larger highways and the bigger the bridges the bigger the anxiety. Yet I've never gotten a ticket or been to fault in any accident.
Give me the slower backroads anytime if I have to go somewhere.
As far as the autistic matters, I do get sensory overload when there are too many cars and my thoughts are too many at the same time. Easily distracted by observing things and multiple thoughts along with keeping my mind on the driving. Just don't enjoy it.
But, it's a necessity living in a city.
And playing rock music in the car actually helps to steady my mind.
Unbelievable.

 

[Thinx]

I learned to drive at 17 and helped drive on family outings and holidays etc but didn't take a driving test except for a moped! Then I learned again with my brother in law who was a driving instructor for a while he loves driving and off roading. He properly explained to me what's happening in the car Engine etc when I pushed pedals and operated the gears so then I could connect with it and that made it way easier. However similarly to some others here I m verging on dyspraxic and found driving difficult and frightening so I stopped. I have always lived in towns and cities so plenty of public transport available and a car can be a slow way to get about. Despite that on a spiritual level I totally empathise with or felt the vibe of what Bruce Springsteen was singing about think my brother in law did and does too. We saw him in Roundhay park in the eighties. I must be a driver in spirit. ..

 

[Major Tom]

I started driving a tractor when I was around 12 and got my driver's license at 17. The coordination isn't an issue for me, but other people's bad driving tactics really get my goat..

 

[Nitro]

Wet trail,too much throttle,14 year old driver and one tree equals a customized front end

 

[Progster]

Yes, I can drive. I passed my driving test on my second attempt, aged 21. I have no trouble with motor coordination or spatial awareness, but processing fast incoming information can be a challenge, and I hate driving in busy environments. Roundabouts were my nemesis when I was learning, as well as the emergency stop and instructions with left and right.

 

[scrp14]

Don't drive because dont have the money to buy lessons/driving exam let alone a car, but if the situation is dire enough that I need one i would probably just opt for an automatic transmission because I don't think I could cope with all the gear shifts and the extra pedal just seems too much work for me.