Do you drive?

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I don't drive. I find driving to be terrifying, so I haven't learned how to yet.

Yes I've been driving since 1986, except for four years after my first stroke when I wasn't allowed because of double vision. I love driving and can't imagine not having that freedom or ability especially as a single mother. I do have serious issues with multitasking and paying attention because of ADHD but I didn't know that when I learned, so I guess I didn't overthink what I was doing and it just became second nature. I have some issues now with night driving again because of my vision, but I still love the time alone in my car. I tend to kind of zone out and ignore extraneous distractions.

I took drivers ed when I was 18 & I got my leaners permit but I haven't driven since. My vision is too bad & I have problems paying attention due to ADD & I get directions confused very easily due to my dyslexia so it's aLOT safer for others that I don't drive.

I love driving. I find it very therapeutic. To do it well requires intense concentration to the exclusion of everything else which is perhaps why I like it so much.

Unfortunately, many of the people you have to share the road with will be focused on anything but their driving. They will be focusing on the conversation they are having with their passenger, the music on their radio, their personal problems, or the meeting they are rushing to. The actual driving will be relegated to well down their list of priorities. It should of course be top of their list of priorities.

I passed my test nearly forty years ago now but I still learn something new every time I drive anywhere.

I've had a driving licence for almost 14 years now. It appears that ASD makes it a little harder to learn but not many magnitudes harder.

It's great when I get sent out in the works van for a little jolly. Usually it's picking up or dropping off steel and always involves going into a supermarket though the van does take up 4 parking spaces.

Driving has more benefits than just personal transport and can result in little nice trips during the working day depending on the job.

I don't drive for similar reasons, I can't pay attention to everything and drive safely at the same time. It gets very overwhelming very quickly.

I've been driving since I was old enough to.

I did my first long trip in 1976, when I was 21. It was a little over 1,100 miles or a little over 1,700 km. I don't do long trips often—a handful or less per year.

I grew up in the suburbs so I do not enjoy driving in cities. I think that is unpleasant and stressful—and to be avoided because parking is always a problem. (Oddly enough, on a trip driving in Boston I was quite happy with the drivers despite their reputation.)

Since retirement I don't need to drive every day. Since the Pandemic I have tried to stay home.

Extra Credit
I think I see where Autism has affected my driving.

(1) I always tried to stop when I was supposed to stop. Even though, technically, it wasn't my fault this has gotten me rear-ended a few times. I'm getting better about being more flexible with stopping for traffic lights. Sigh. Sometimes I feel guilty about not stopping when I should've, then I see that the car behind me went through, too—and mindbogglingly some cars behind them went through, too!

(2) I find driving on the Interstate Highways to be quite comfortable. It has controlled-access and convenient nearby facilities for food and fuel.

(3) I do not like multi-tasking so when I am driving I discourage my bride from lengthy conversations—and from any conversations when going through an intersection, merging with traffic, etc.

(4) Avoiding multi-tasking and having a poor memory creates navigation problems on long trips and unfamiliar roads. I am so glad my latest car has a built-in GPS navigation system! (Bonus: Unlike my bride, it doesn't complain when I miss a turn...it just adjusts the instructions it gives me!)

I didn't learn to drive until my late 20s since I really didn't want to drive at all. The only reason I learned was because public transport has been unreliable and when my partner was hospitalised for a couple of weeks I realised how much I depended on him to drive me and so decided to learn for myself.

Failed the test twice, passed on the third try. I don't enjoy driving, but I can do it if I need to.

Yep. Manual car, manual motorcycle. And sometimes my dad's truck + I drive some work vehicles sometimes. And also people crazy.

I gave up after failing my test for the fourth time. This was seven years ago and things have changed since then so I would probably have to learn a lot more now. I found the Independent drive part of the test very off putting as it was a whole string of instructions that just flew right over my head. On my last test, I kept asking the examiner what the next turn was and he started getting annoyed so that didn't help!

I might try again but automatic rather than manual as there is less to think about.

Yes. I have no problems with it.

I got my license at age 20, and have been driving regularly since. Took me 3 tries to pass the test.

For those struggling learning in a manual vehicle, would highly recommend learning in an autonatic vehicle (the standard here in the USA, but quite uncommon in the UK from what I’ve heard) if possible. It’s much easier.

I drive but I have to pay close attention to my ability to focus. If it is off and my reason to be on the road is not great enough, I will go home. This also means I need to have a general limit on how much driving I'm doing on a given day, where I also have to consider what other activities I'm doing throughout the day. Being too tired to concentrate on everything going on is a very real danger for me.

I learned to drive long before I ever took drivers training classes. I learned to drive on a stick shift. I remember thinking that was fun. I used to like driving when I was younger. Now? Eh. I can still drive and do alright with it so long as I'm not stressed out or anything. I don't much enjoy it now but will do so if I need to.

Never learned stick shift, don't want to, no need to. I want to have automatic-everything. Get in the car, tell it where I want to go, then read or nap for awhile.

Cars are not yet that good. Tesla has apparently packaged its "autopilot" in a way that has tricked many Tesla owners into thinking their car is self-driving. Some of those owners are now dead because they were wrong about that.

But the built-in navigation system, blind-spot sensors, backup cameras, etc. are nice. Next car I want adaptive cruise control.

When I eventually get too old to drive I hope there will be self-driving cars I can trust.

I’ve had the opposite approach to transmissions. I’ve always thought it’d be wise to at the very least learn the basics of how to operate manual vehicles Just In Case Of An Emergency and the only vehicle available to use is a manual of some sort.

I can drive manual regular passenger vehicles no problem. I’ve never driven a semi tractor - and afaik they have a different clutch/transmission system that’s trickier to use.. something about dual clutches and shifters I think ?? Like one set for low gears and another for high. I’d like to think I grasp the physics of it well enough that so long as the shift patterns were labeled that I could figure out how to get it moving in an emergency.

Years ago I used to think I should learn to ride a motorcycle better than the super basics I tried out as a 10-12yo kid for a few mins - again, just in case there were ever a situation where you Need to get from A-B asap and the only available mode is a motorcycle. Not super likely where I live, but never know, what if I took a vacation and s**t happened ? There are twice as many motorcycles as cars in the world so learning the basics could come in handy. I used to think I’d never be coordinated enough to do it - but I’ve now had a motorcycle for a few years and passed my full licence with flying colours earlier in the Summer.

I’ve also operated super basic boats. Never planes or helicopters - but apparently people can legit learn to fly them, or drive race cars, from simulator video games. Doubt I’ll ever be in a situation where I need to be able to fly, though. Ha!

Automatic convenience has its pros, of course, but having the basic skills necessary to operate ~almost ~anything could be life saving in an emergency - especially if one were to ever venture off the beaten path of wealthy advanced societies and into the real world where the most common vehicles are manual transmission motorcycles and then manual cars for their low cost and simplicity of maintenance and repair.

I’ve yet to ever go anywhere like that as I’m not much of a world traveller, but never know where the rest of my life may take me and what I may need to do - or want to do.. seen some advertisements for some really cool looking motorcycle tours of India, Nepal, Tibet etc.