So nervous- driving

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I didn't get my license until this year, and am still a very nervous driver. I haven't driven in months, due to insurance issues (my husband didn't put me on the insurance.... ) Well, he finally did, and today, I'm going to pick up my new van. It is the first vehicle I have ever had. It's a 45 minute drive home, and I'm nervous just thinking about it. I know I should be excited, but all I feel is fear.

I really struggle to process everything while driving. None of my NT friends/family understand. *sigh*

That's why I don't drive anymore. I got so nervous that I got into a wreck with another car as I was turning. Driving takes some multi-tasking as well as focus. I found myself easily distracted and reactive to the honks, tailgaiting and cars that would merge into my lane. Also my depth perception isn't very good.

Just be careful not to do what I did. At least you got through the hard part by passing the test.

I know what you mean.

I've always been a nervous driver, but for years I could at least get around. Now, I can barely drive the mile to my younger kid's school, but not to the other kid's school. While I'm driving, my whole body feels all tingly, in a really unpleasant way. My hands and feet go numb. And that's just when I'm driving in a place with no traffic. It's horrible. I can't go anywhere that doesn't have anywhere to pull over. In order to get to my older son's school, or just about anywhere else that's useful, I have to drive over this drawbridge. It's not a long distance, but it's a stretch of road that has no place to pull over, so if I get stuck there and start to panic, it's really awful.

I gave up freeway driving long ago, and I didn't feel so bad about that. I don't know what the traffic is like where you live, but I think it's reasonable for someone to be afraid of driving on Bay Area freeways. So, I didn't feel so bad about myself being afraid to do that. I just figured I was the only sensible one. But now I'm afraid of just driving down a residential street at 25 mph. Not being able to drive to the shopping center or to my kid's school really is debilitating. Any time we have an appointment, my husband has to take time off work, and my self-esteem is basically nil.

It really sucks.

I wish you luck.

I used to be very nervous driving, but I only have 'mild' AS so I don't have the same issues. I still get fairly nervous driving somewhere unfamiliar, but if I have a GPS or someone to guide me I'm ok. Remember, using a little extra gas and time to circle back is much better that getting in a crash and waiting for cops and a tow truck. Still, being guided by a dyslexic girl was interesting, to say the least.

blah The windshield was damaged and the rearview mirror was broken. Something hit its windshield between my test drive and today. Have to leave it there for them to fix it.

Driving, while not a necessity, can certainly make life much easier. Not to mention it being a boost to ones self esteem. Sadly, it's a skill I was never able to master so I've had to rely on a pitiful public transportation system or the kindness of family and friends.

I was actually going to post a thread to ask if anyone else had the kind of driving problems I have, lol. I do great at maneuvering a vehicle through an obstacle course---I have high precision with it---and I kind of enjoy the feeling of it. But give me traffic laws (which are extremely non-intuitive and make no logical sense to me for the most part) and moving obstacles such as other vehicles, and I freak out. I'd be consciously terrified of doing something wrong while driving if not for the fact that I have no attention to spare for conscious thought while behind the wheel. Even having someone navigate doesn't help, because then I'm trying to split my attention between understanding what they're saying, comparing it to what I'm seeing, and trying to avoid collisions or lawbreaking. My brain does not parallel-process

Ten years ago I swerved straight across two lanes of traffic on a highway, miraculously didn't run into anyone or anything, and came to almost an emergency stop at the shoulder of the road because my navigator was on the phone and trying to get better directions to where we were going, his instructions to me weren't making sense or holding together, and I was suddenly afraid of missing a turn and getting lost. Total brain overload and shutdown. That was the last time I let myself drive. When my driver's license expired, I got just a state ID, and I've had only that ever since. My only regret is the lack of independence in having to rely on a relative to go shopping while my husband is at work, but hey, it gives me a chance to talk with her about things that really interest us both, and to do some mutual encouragement. Though it would be nice to know I'm capable of driving my husband to the hospital if something happens at home, or to the doctor if he's too sick to drive....

Yeah, no one seems to understand the physical/mental trouble and fear I have with driving. They seem to think it's just a psychological issue and I'll feel so much better if I push past it. I'm also horrible at real-time combative computer games---I just can't process and react in the ways that are required. Give me games of exploration, story-uncovering, and problem-solving at my own pace any day.