How are you with driving?

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I don't drive and don't plan taking driving classes - at least in the near future, until I'm rich enough to buy my own car. I would be too afraid of getting someone else's car crashed. Plus driving seems too complicated for me.

When I first learned to drive, at 19, it was a disaster. I was fine on an empty, two-lane country highway, but in the city with other drivers and lane changing etc, I could not cope. The use of the mirrors was particularly stressful for me: I just couldn't believe the image in the mirror, I would have to turn around and see for myself what was there. And I really couldn't take the people honking at me. I was perpetually on the verge of shutdown/meltdown. I was relieved when I failed my driving test and swore I would never drive again.

When I was about 28, I started thinking about driving again, and for some reason I can now handle it. I got my license without any problem a couple years ago, and now I really enjoy driving. At first I still didn't like the mirror aspect, but I "decided to believe" what I saw in them, and now I'm used to it. Of course there are many stressful parts of driving, like the aggressive drivers on the road, but I guess I don't hold myself responsible for their reactions anymore. When I was younger I assumed that all people could and should be reasonable, but now I've accepted that they're mostly ridiculous.

I absolutely detest GPS, but fortunately I have a good sense of direction and rarely get lost. I like to plan out my route on a map before I leave, to avoid stress. If I do go the wrong way, I get stressed out and meltdowny, but not as much as I used to.

I don't drive....tried somewhat briefly at ages 18 an 21. Thing is driving is a sensory nightmare! There are WAY too many things to focus on at once. I could drive on empty roads if I had to but what is the point of that? It's not like I had anxiety about doing that either, I just found it boring. But take me on to a busy road, or really any road other than a straight empty road, an I have no idea what to do. I can't turn - there's not enough time for my brain to tell my body to do it!
There's just too many cars, I can't react fast enough, I can't think fast enough. WAY overwhelming. Anyone else have these processing/sensory overload issues with driving?

I can't even imagine piloting a car myself. The thought of it terrifies me to my core. I don't even like being a passenger!

I am a newly qualified driver and I hate it. I find driving really stressful and nervewracking.

But reading through the experiences of some of the drivers in this thread has given me hope that it will get easier as time goes on!

I'm ok as long as I'm driving on familiar rodes and I know where I'm going. I absolutely refuse to drive downtown or in other areas of heavy traffic, lots of lane changes, etc.

I also hate parking lots. There is just too much going on at once. Cars backing out, coming in from all directions, pedestrians....too much to be looking out for. I remember a few years ago I had gone to a movie at one of those huge multi-plexes and it seemed there was a non-stop flow of people and cars either coming or going. I swear, I must've sat in my car for 15 minutes or longer waiting for the chaos to subside. I thought I was going to have to call my husband to come and get me up because there was no way I was going to try to back out in the midst of that mess. Fortunately, it did die down and I was able to make it out, but now I try to go during the day when it's less crowded.

This is a bit of a rant, but I think I know that when I'm in an up cycle - as in not as depressed - I drive really badly. Today I got honked at twice, even though I thought I was being careful as usual.
This is strange, I thought it'd be the other way around. But no: when I am "neutral" or depressed, I can drive pretty well just scared all the time.
I guess it's a good thing I know this now and will be extra careful going to town when I'm hyper. yikes. I really don't like cars. Wouldn't it be great if we all rode bikes and bike trucks and trikes instead.

Yeah! horses, carriages, nice, quiet clippity cloppity sounds at most. great idea hartzofspace.
On the plus side of my day, I made it home with my truck full of yummy food and filtered water enough to last a couple weeks.
So now, am gloriously free of trips to nasty crowded noisy stores for awhile.

I have had driving lessons when I was 18 but that was a disaster. The driving instructor was quite relieved when I finally quit. I still don't drive and that's probably for the best.

I am so glad I am not alone in this. When I was 16 almost 17 my younger sister was already driving and I had actually be kicked out of driver's education. The other kids refused to ride with me after I almost hit a dilapidated building. I thought I'd never be free to go somewhere without my parents. Then I dated a guy when I was in my 20's who didn't drive either, so we bicycled everywhere. I learned how to handle the distractions that way. Then when he and I broke up after 3 years, I finally got my dad to work with me in empty parking lots, and after taking the test 2 times, I finally got my licence when I was 22. Then I only drove to work and church. If the road was being worked on I was a mess. If I got separate from the person I was following to somewhere I'd never been I was a mess, if I missed my exit, I was a mess. I am now 35 and have finally been five years without a ticket or accident. I still need google maps or GPS to go anywhere I've not been more than 2 times, but at least when there is a detour I can find my way around, and highways don't freak me out as much anymore. So I say if you want to do it, stick with it and find a mall that has closed down and just practice. ( where I live there are a lot of dead malls). As a side note, I have an 80 something year old great aunt who is NT and never learned to drive, so some folks just aren't drivers AS or otherwise.

driving my car is one of my favorite things ! FREEDOM ! open roads, music on, ooh..
I drive since 1998 and drove plenty, never had an accident. Never got into an accident either because I have my radar on all the time.

I do yell and get frustrated a lot when people are driving like insane maniacs..
I don't like it when I have to hassle with busy traffic or going shopping with mum, meaning having to stop somewhere you're not allowed to stop and then I have to wait and watch the perimeter to see whether parking guards are near THAT I hate.

I never even got my license for various reasons but I think it would be a really bad idea for me to drive. I don't even want to. I'd probably be running into things and people. I also get carsick a lot.

I have horrible issues with this. I am so nervous. I have my permit. My 5 hour course has expired. I have to go take it again. I am just very nervous because last time I went we had to talk a lot. The instructor made say our name and something we like or something about us. It drives me crazy. I don't know what to say about me! I don't like to talk in front of a lot of people either. I have a lot of trouble learning how to parallel park and three point turn. I tend to drive to fast. I don't really pay much attention to lights or stop signs which could get me killed one day! I am usually in my own little world I guess. When I was younger I was riding my bike in my dad's neighborhood and I ended up hitting someones parked car that was on the side of the road outside their house. My dad was so mad, but I guess I tend to just look down while riding a bike instead of actually paying attention to where I am going.

I am very afraid I won't ever get my license!