As. and driving

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I'm an excellent driver.

(sorry)

I would have to say that I am a competent driver, as long as the car is diesel. I screw up in petrol cars so much, all that revving the engine. Put me in a diesel, and I am at home, I find my way around the car easily. Petrol cars, I can burn the clutch out in about 30 seconds. I can go backwards faster than some people go forwards, and I only use the mirrors for this. Some people think it is scary when I am going backwards and still facing forwards...

Gad, I realize I've been driving for 30 years now.. Used to be a leadfoot, but a couple of accidents changed that. I'm a big believer in appropriate following distances...

I get a bit antsy about merging lanes...you know that @#$% who let the other @#$% into the lane ahead of him...well, that's me...

Cops really bother me; I've been pulled because I look suspicious, and usually stupidly answer 'yes' to 'do you know what you were doing?' -hint; this is a trick question. If you answer 'yes', you've just self-incriminated yourself. Don't abuse it, but avoid 'yes' in those situations. Another reason I don't like cops is that every time I talk to one, my insurance goes up...

I'm fairly relaxed as long as things aren't too crowded...though I do tend to do drum solos on the steering wheel if the mood strikes...

I'm 21, have been driving since I was 16, and have never had a problem with focus while driving. I can monitor my speed and sing along with the radio all while staying on the road the whole time.

EDIT: I drum on the steering wheel, too...

Lol, likedcalico. Just make sure you are obeying all traffic laws, and that won't be necessary.

One time I really did get pulled over for nothing, and my parents were called to come pick me up. There was not to my knowledge any traffic law I broke, but the cops followed me for miles down the highway, saw me not use my blinker once, and saw me go on the white line on the shoulder a couple of times. They did have all this on their video camera, which they showed me. I didn't really have an explanation, just that I took a Benadryl for some allergies. That still doesn't explain it though. To this day, I try to focus on my driving more after the incident, but I don't know whether it makes a difference or not.

I guess I am an expection. I have a Class A Driver's License (the highest level) with a Passenger, air brake, tankers, and doubles/triples endorsements. That means I can legally drive just about anything with wheels.

I didn't learn to drive though until 18. I still have a bit of trouble with the stick.

I think an Aspie has additional challenges which are;

1) Depth perception
2)Timing,

and

3) Predicting other driver's potential actions.


My advice as a professional driver is this:

1) Don't drive with your emotions. Don't stomp on the gas, spin the wheel hard, or force the vehicle into a place because you are angry at another driver, a light, or unable to cross an intersection etc. Drive using logic and reason.

2) Over estimate the distance, space, and time it takes to take an action, especially when changing lanes or backing up. Don't be afraid to stop the vehicle and get out the vechile and look at your distance when parking or pulling out.

4) Assume every other driver on the road does not see you, many of them don't. I drive a 25 passenger giant purple bus with the lights on and a 350 V10 Trition engine that rocks the buildings and some people STILL don't see or hear me coming. There are IDIOTS on the road. IF they don't know you are there, they will pull out in front of you, cut you off, not let you change lanes, etc, because they don't notice you.

5) Assume your brakes don't work well, give yourself plenty of time to brake or make a sudden turn off the road, at all times. If another driver cuts into the space you give between you and car in front of you, ease back more and create a new space of the same size. Give yourself 5 seconds of time, more if it is raining, snowing, or foggy, or if you are tired or sick. There is no reason to drive on the bumper of the car in front of you, you aren't going to get where you are going any faster.

6) Understand their is no such thing as "Right of Way". Assume the other guy will not yield and thinks he should be first even if you got their first or he is the one with the stop sign or yield sign. Stop signs, red lights, and crosswalks, and pedestrains don't always follow the rules. They think they are entitled to be first.

7) If the roads are bad, and you don't have to go out, don't. Snow chains should be used to get out of a bad situation and get home, not to leave home and get into one.

Best,

Idaho Aspie

I can't drive stick. Too uncoordinated.

I drive good but panic when there are alot of other cars. I cuss out people with huge trucks too.

Can't park straight. My first written test I failed. I ran over the curb when told to drive out of the narrow driveway and proceeded to run over the curb. Second test, passed. There was no narrow drive thorugh.

Getting lost isn't good either.

When I drive, I usually face forward at all times and never look to the side or the back, otherwise I get distracted and have a tendacy to move the steering wheel in the direction I face subconsciously.

My friend loves to have me drive because the risk appeals to him for some reason. I've come close to killing myself a few times when I first started driving, but have been pretty decent ever since. When I first started driving with a permit, for the first three years or so I clenched the steering wheel extremely tight. I don't do it anymore but driving still makes me nervous.

If the radio is turned on, I cannot focus. At all. Conversation in the car is also unwanted.

Open windows also bother me; the wind causes too much tactile and auditory stimulation and I can't focus on the road as well as I normally do.

hahaha! i HATED learing to drive, scared the crap out of me, but i actually do just fine if i am alone in the car, and i do even better if i can listen to music.... but no music and another person in the car? i get freaking performance anxiety or something and i can't relax, even if i am comfortable with the person otherwise. but getting my license was TERRIBLE, and i had to take it 3 times. luckily, FL does not require any drivers ed and you don't even have to know how to parallel park... just take a written test and drive around a parking lot and you will pass... my dad was so mad when i failed the 2nd time... i think the fear of him being mad if i failed AGAIN was enough to make me somehow pass, some subconscious instinct, because i was shaking so bad and couldn't really understand a thing the guy was saying as i took it the 3rd time... it was a miracle...

i shake my legs when i drive

I've started practice driving now at 31, not having had the financial options earlier, dysfunctional family issues and some other stuff. Anyway, now I've bought an ok car and I'm I practice during the weekends with my dad as tutor, making good progress. A few years back, I learned all the theory for a license and tested through a program on my PC, learning it all, but don't remember it all now and picking it up again to practice feels so boring.. So it feels like I'm in better shape for the driving test than the theory now.

So far I'm driving on the outskirts of town, having returned just an hour ago, adventuring a few heavily trafficked crossings. No accidents so far. The costs get me a bit down though, with petrol costing like $1.80 / litre here, or $8.30/gallon, so it's not entirely inexpensive even to just practice. Then all the mandatory costs for a licenses are $500 or so, hurts my wallet. Kind of wish I was already in the US instead.

I don't have too large issues getting it all together driving so far, perhaps biking has gotten me used to all the nuisances of traffic.

I got mine when I was 15 (as is legal in NZ). I've always been pretty good, often a bit slower in my reaction times but that's just being a 'female driver' or so I'm told!!

I have no night perception though, so I hate driving at night. I've no idea where cars are, I just see light. So I've been known to wait at an intersection for 2 minutes for a car to go past and the road to be clear... I figure I'd rather wait than end up in a crash because I can't judge how far away they are.

That's about my only problem though. I only drive automatics as they're the only cars we've ever had, so that might make it easier.

I can drive as long as there are no other cars on the road...the road is a four lane freeway and I am use to the car. LOL. Hand eye What?

I live in San Francisco. You do not need a car here. Public transit is the best in this city and if you cant handle the crowded buses during the rush hour...walk... it's only 49 miles square.

I have to get serious about learning to drive again. I actually learned how to do it quite well ten years ago but, when it came to the behind the wheel tests, I got nervous and failed three times. I think I was a better driver than the majority of people on the road. There are some real idiots out there and it's getting more dangerous. I saw two major accidents this year, one of which ultimately resulted in a fatality. Scary stuff.

I compensate for any driving issues by speeding and abruptly changing lanes without a signal.

Of course, the southern CA freeways are cutthroat; one does not use a signal unless they are prepared for other drivers in the vicinity to block their intended moves. I can admit I have no parking ability whatsoever but I attribute that to my crippled depth perception.

I never learned to drive. But then I'm convinced I died in a car crash in my previous life.