Aspergers and Driving

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I was 15 1/2 When I started driving school (May of '07) I took the Written in June of that year, Failed, Then July 2 of that Year, Passed, and Later failed 3 driving tests. I thought I drove pretty good. I'm re-applying for my driving permit test Next Wednesday.

I have diagnosed Asperger's but, personally, I love driving. It's even a part of my job. I love the freedom, the adventure, and the sound/feel of the engine at highway speeds. I love driving in snow the best. Yes, I have been in 2 accidents, neither of them was my fault, and I have been pulled over, but just warnings. I think driving is one of the greatest things about life. However, I don't like that I live so close to work that the car never gets warm on cold days.

I don't drive a car. I took 25 lessons and my driving instructor said he couldn't teach me any more (I kept letting go of the steering wheel when I had to do the stuff with my feet ). I can, however ride a moped easily.

I never got behind the wheel until four years ago as I was told that my vision trouble would prevent me from getting a license. After getting my eyes checked and passing the written test on the first try, I got my learners permit. Since I lived by myself, and didn't have any friends with vehicles, I rarely got to do any practice.
I finally drove (and passed) the practical test a couple of weeks ago, but it wasn't what I expected. I expected to be driving in traffic at normal speeds. The test simply turned out be performing basic maneuvers on a small course.
The next step is to get a car so that I can actually put my license to use, and learning to drive stick wouldn't hurt. My biggest worry is getting distracted and not seeing something or someone. Merging onto highways can also be a little scary.

What stumps me is why I'm the only one who actually follows the rules of the road

I have been driving for nine years and got my lisence when I was almost 17. I don't drive much anymore like I used to. I only drive when I go out which isn't very often. It's for grocery shopping and for things I need or when I go to the autism groups.

I was incredibly nervous about it at first, which drove me to become rather obsessed with mastering it.

When I took my driver's test, the person giving the test told me I drive like a cop... I guess that's good?

I used to set up little autocross courses in empty parking lots to practice things like driving backwards through "S" shaped courses as fast as the tires would allow, cutting times through my little courses, drifting around... all that stuff.

It's fun, but I DESPISE having other people on the road because they're so totally random it seems.

I seek out an open stretch of road and stick with it in traffic, and always prepare myself for the worst possible action anyone around me could take (yes, including driving into a parked car and rolling their vehicle on it's side into my lane) which has served me well. I actually drove a cab for a while and enjoyed it because I was able to rake in cash for simply knowing the routes around town and how to dodge traffic adeptly.


I do wish the requirements for licensing were much stricter though, and can not stand having anyone else drive a vehicle I'm riding in.

I've been driving since I was 20, and actually had cops comment on my driving in a good way - I got out of a ticket for something that's illegal only because most people are too uncoordinated to pull it off (u-turn on an empty highway in the middle of the night with a 48 foot trailer :b)

Cop's exact words: "we had a guy back into a ditch doing that yesterday but you clearly know what you're doing"

Driving is a necessity for me and I have to have the freedom to be able to go wherever whenever.
Where I find it hard is when I have someone else with me and they're yapping when I'm driving in heavy traffic.
In heavy traffic I don't even like to have the stereo on because that alone is too distracting and annoying.
I rarely will talk on the cell phone anyway but I especially don't like doing it when I'm driving.
Open freeway driving is probably the best for me and especially at night when the traffic is at a minimum.
If I'm going on a long road trip I like to sleep very late that day and drive all that night and it's much easier to deal with since the traffic is much lighter and no glare from the sun.

I drive. I am self diagnosed but am working on figureing out how to get an official diagnosis without health insurance and without spending a lot of $. One of my special interests in my trans am as a matter of fact. I just recently discovered AS when it was suggested by someone i know that i might have it. i took a few tests including one from this site and they seem to confirm it.

I dont have my license and i am 19. I am able to take the permit test next week, but i feel as though i dont need a license right now.
I am fine riding my bike, and i can ride 4 miles in 22 minutes, where my train station is.

depends on who you ask...i go the speed limit and am very careful so either i'm good or i suck

I used to get tickets nearly every month in various countries and states. Almost exclusively for speeding, a few unsafe lane change etc. I once got three in one day, in separate incidents. These days, I usually get one or two a year and I have a lawyer who gets it closer to 0 or 1.

My car has 500,000 km on it and I've never scratched it. A striking union worker once put a dent in the hood with his elbow (deliberately) when I hit him deliberately. He wasn't seriously hurt. I left the dent.

I find driving very difficult.

I'm a very cautious driver and have never been in an accident, but the problem I have is that I am not capable of paying attention to two things at once that are both in motion. If I have to change lanes, that means I have to be aware of the cars coming up behind me in the lane I need to switch to, plus keep paying attention to the road in front of me so I don't drift, or run into a car in front of me... and I can't do all of that at the same time. I can only change lanes if traffic is very light.

Same with making left turns, which is even harder because I need to be aware of cars coming from three directions (left, right, and the oncoming traffic lane), in order to be sure I have enough clearance to make the turn. So I only make left turns where there's a left-turn arrow light. Otherwise I make three right turns instead.

I actually don't drive at all now, but when I did drive that's what I had to do.

I thought this might be an AS thing, but judging from this thread it doesn't seem to be?

I have no driving licence, but have tried driving Dad's car in a car park. "Tried" being the operative word - in three lessons I still haven't figured out how to get the thing to start. My driving in a kart is rather better; in fact last week I went karting and wasn't last, which was nice going for my fifth time

So I've answered "No" to the poll, but inexperience is almost certainly a larger factor than neurology on this occasion.

The reason why I failed my first road test at 16 was because I wasn't given enough driving lessons to feel confident enough to pass. It also didn't help that the test was taken out in a town that I've never been to before.
It wasn't until later that I was diagnosed with Asperger's and my step-mother told me that's probably why I didn't pass my road test.
That was a major blow to my self-esteem. I basically didn't even want to bother trying again. I figured that I'd just never be able to drive because of my condition.
The years passed, I eventually moved out, and I realized how difficult it was to get around without a car. Not everybody was able to give you a ride, not every place has convenient public transportation, and taxis are expensive. I was pretty much fed up with having to rely on everyone & everything else (because most of the time they aren't all that reliable). So I renewed my learner's permit, took up both classroom time and behind-the-wheel time, made sure I took enough lessons, and scheduled my road test.
I failed the 2nd time, but it was a really bad week so that wasn't much of a surprise. So I retook it the next week, and passed. The following month, I got my own car.
I wouldn't call myself a perfect driver, but I know I'm good enough. It feels great to finally be able to get around like everyone else. I know to NTs that driving a car is no big deal, but for an Aspie like me, it's a major accomplishment.
The only thing that worries me is getting lost, but that's what GPS's are for.

I've been driving my Ford for 3 years now, never had an accident yet, not so much as a parking violation for that matter. I believe that its because of my observing my parents drive over the years that I memorized how to drive well.