Having a Drivers Licence

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Same thing going on here - I can't parallel park, and driving in reverse is impossible for me.

I have to say I am blown away at everyone's responses regarding driving-either not doing it, or taking a very long time to learn. You have to understand I am super newly diagnosed (not sure if that is grammatically correct??) but I have had the same issues and I thought it was just me being a freak. I *learned* when I was 25, meaning I took the test and got my license. After that I did not actually drive nor own a car until I was 31...and it was pretty much because I HAD to (for work).

I have now been driving for five years and I am still really *weird* as far as which routes I will take and how far I will drive. For the longest time I would only drive the bus routes that I knew from having to take the bus everywhere. I am only now becoming comfortable driving on the freeway, but I still have anxiety over it.

I'm not entirely sure what my issue was and why it took me such a long time, I only know that if I did not HAVE to drive I most certainly would not have ever gotten my license.

I've tried once and only couldn't finish the test because I moved away and it was hard to transfer what I had already done to a new state ( I suppose, state is the right analogy, that was in Germany).
I was not bad but I developed a rather severe aversion against driving and never tried since. I'm not quite sure why; I think it was all a little overwhelming and exhausting for me...
My parents wanted me to get a license but I refused to start with driving lessons again (you have to have a certain amount of several certain types of driving lessons from a certified driving school here before you can attempt a test) and they've given up.
I might try again once I have a job (I'm student) and can pay my license myself... but I'm not sure, I don't need a car and I don't think I'd be able to afford one anytime soon.

(I should add that you need to be 18 here to start driving lessons, you have to take around 12 theory lessons and something like 10 normal driving lessons, 2 at night, 2 on the freeway and 2 over country roads which amounts to approximately €1000 or $1300 - not including the fees for the theory and driving tests or the obligatory health and safety course)

Last edited by Khyrean on 17 Jun 2012, 5:04 am, edited 1 time in total.

Yes, I have been a licensed driver since I was 28. It was nerve wrecking when I first started driving. But, before that when my mom was trying to teach me how to drive, I had a lot of trouble with the brakes. I didn't even want to drive before then becaue of all of the issues, but my mom was on me like a diaper. However it wasn't my mom that finally cause me to accept the reality of driving, but a forklift.

What turned this around for me was when I was employed at a local factory the boss told me to get up on a forklift and learn how to operate it. I had turned down one forklift job before being hired at this one place. I worked there for about a year when I was told to learn how to operate a forklift which I operated for about another year before I then was ready to drive a car and never had anymore problems with the brakes or even driving a car. I operate gas powered forklifts as well as electric, and that was forcing me to use a clutch, shifting gears as well as using the the brake and gas pedal. I operated forklifts until the day l quite working there about 18 1/2 years later. So I have to say it was being made to operate a forklift that gave me the incentive to learn how to drive and it was no longer scary. I now drive a van, because I can get in and out easier unlike the small cars of the past that I owned. Now days, I feel perfectly comfortable operating backhoe loaders as well.

As for Aspies and those with Autism, driving? There are a lot of use that can drive though there may have been some struggles along the way, such as in my case.

I can't parrallel park either. But that didn't stop me from getting my license because the lady at the BMV leaned forward and slapped her hands on the dashboard upsetting me. My mom was with me and the woman from the BMV overreacted. Both my mom and I filed a complaint.

Driving a cage was an early interest of mine, when I was in my late teens I used to sneak my parents' cars out for a quick drive. I was going to build a career on auto detailing until I backed into another vehicle and froze. I had a brainstorm that motorcycles can't back into things and decided cars just weren't for me

I had gone to get a license several times and passed the written test but failed the vision part (20/800 in left eye). I tried glasses but eye movements turned everything into Picasso, so I gave up for a long time until an eye injury put me in touch with a good ophthalmologist who got me wearing a contact. I've had a license for 7 years now

I also need someone with me to give me directions while I am driving. I need to know everywhere I am going beforehand, in my memory, or need someone to tell me where I need to go. Driving is normally quite easy for me since I live in a small town and don't hardly ever leave it.

I'm hoping that one day, when I finally manage to move out of my parents' home, I want to try and live in a small town, within walking distance of stores, so I can sell my car for some easy money and then find a way to make a living in that small town.

I drive a 2002 Honda CR-V my dad gave me for finishing community college. I've owned 3 other cars in my life: a '88 Nissan Sentra, a '90 Honda Accord, and a '91 Honda Prelude. I have mild dyslexia and dyspraxia which caused me to fail my first driving test because I was horrible at parallel parking! lol Now I'm okay, but I still really screw it up sometimes; the other day I cracked my taillight I have only gone without a car from 2004 until this year. This was because I could never keep up with all of the registering, exams and renewals I had to do-- especially after I drove the Prelude down to VA with NH temporary plates that expired while there and that kind of started it all because as soon as I registered the car in VA my NH license was deactivated. I returned to NH and got pulled over for something dumb and got charged with Operation after Suspension! I was never good at explaining myself to the police....

Anyways, I drive super-carefully and I really do try to only drive 5 mph over the speed limit max.

I didn't get my licence until I was 17. I was very nervous when I first started driving. I was lucky I didn't get pulled over the first day I drove on my own, as I swerved so much.

I got my license when I was 16 and had no issues getting it, two lessons and the written test and I was done and dusted.
Then at 25 I got my Heavy Vehicle license and flew through that too, I love driving.
I own three Vehicles ATM, my daily Driver, a 2003 Ford Fairmont (I'm Australian), My show car, a 1979 Ford LTD and my truck, a 2005 Nissan UD MK240 car carrier, (I need it for the work I do)
I can also get around on tractors and bobcats but not on the road obviously.

Boss

Yes, I got my license early this year.

I was afraid to start driving, but learned that I'd need to if I wanted to go to college full-time.

I got my driver's license on the first try when I was 16. I took my test in the car my parents bought me---a 1977 factory modified (built for drag racing) Ford Mustang that is capable of about 200 mph. The only points I got deducted with was starting out from stops too slowly---I was afraid of the accelerator because it is so touchy. Just the slightest push can cause it to peel out. I have always respected that car. My parents bought it in 1980 from a car dealer who had gotten it in on trade from the original owner who had raced it and also babied it. Over 30 years later, it is kept in nearly like-new condition in the garage. I never want to let go of my first car. It has 65,000 miles on it today. In 1984 it had 64,000 miles on it when I decided to garage it.

I also used to drive forklifts - gas powered 3 tonne Mitsubishis and Nissans. I also learnt to drive a Caterpillar front-end loader.

As for my licence, I have had it since I was 19 (now 35) and needed it to go to work. But I only learnt automatic, not manual. These days I drive a 1994 Mazda Astina.

With me, I was forced to learn how to operate a forklift or lose my job. There was a time in my life that I wouldn't have gotten up on a backhoe loader or even in a skid steer loader. But, I have to learn how to do things on my own time table and it was very frightening being forced to learn how to operate a piece of heavy equipment when I wasn't ready. But, when I'm ready to operate one of these machines, I can figure it out for myself like I did with the backhoe loader. I love operating these machines including the skid steer loader. But, I have to admit that there is problems getting in this machine for me.

Last edited by Dirtdigger on 17 Jun 2012, 7:53 am, edited 1 time in total.

You can click on his name and see what he's set for his diagnostic status. His status is "Have Asperger's - Diagnosed."

Also, how well you write is not a reflection of how autistic you are.

Anyway, I don't drive. My attempts to learn to drive were either utter failures or nearly disastrous. I recall learning how to drive a home-built tractor (out of compact car parts) with a manual transmission, but I couldn't learn how to drive an actual compact car with a manual transmission. I didn't even remember ever having driven the tractor while I was learning, and it wasn't more than a year or two since I had driven it. I should note I only drove it in a pasture and not on a street. I also nearly flipped it over.

As for my second time, I learned I can't focus on everything. I simplify that down to "I can look at the street or I can look at things on the street" but in practical terms I very nearly drove into a giant orange dumpster because I didn't actually see it until it was pointed out to me. There have been other relevant issues, and I just do not feel safe driving any automobile.