Learning to drive

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I am so anxious for this. My father just told me that, since next year I'll be 16, this summer he will start to tech me to drive. I don't know if I will be able to do that, and I'm very anxious, since I'm a person who gets distracted easily, and I fear I can get distracted and have an accident while driving.
Another thing I'm worried about is the lack of motor coordination. Does it influence a person's ability to drive? My motor coordination sucks. It has became a bit better beyond years, but it still sucks. I only learned to tie my shoe laces when I was 14, and I don't think I can do a complicated thing. My father said that the lack of motor coordination won't influence my ability to drive, but I'm not sure about this. Is that true? Eventually, were any aspies here ever able to learn how to drive a car? If yes, how could you? Please tell me.

I'm distracted easily when I'm not driving. But I give driving my total focus and I'm a very good driver. Don't worry, you'll be fine. The fact that you could get killed if you don't pay attention is a pretty compelling motivator for giving your full attention to the road.

I'm an excellent driver. Dad lets me drive slow on the driveway. But not on Monday, definitely not on Monday. *

*That is to say, I'm in my 30's and still haven't managed to get a license. I hope you fare better.

Think of the car as an extension of your body. Keep your eyes on the road. And go with the flow of traffic.
It will take a while to get the feel for driving (and all cars are different.) It's normal to be nervous.
I failed my driver's test the first time, but I've been driving now for more than 20 years and I actually enjoy it.

We are teaching our 16 year old to drive right now. It's hard, for sure, but I do think he'll be able to learn eventually.

He takes ADD drugs for inattention at school, and he REALLY needs those drugs for driving. We were teaching him without the drugs for a while, and it's almost like he's driving drunk without them. WITH them, he's really not bad. He does have inattention problems while driving at times -- they happen when a) I'm talking with him while he's driving, and that's really distracting, or b) he's changing lanes. He does NOT do well when changing lanes.

I think that you will be fine. Don't expect to pass your test on the first try. Lots of kids DON'T pass their test the first time, so that's no big deal (it took me three tries!). Also, you should try to break all the rules of the road down to very simple, incremental steps. Also, there are some situations where another person in the car CANNOT be talking with you or it will distract you too much. Changing lanes is one of these situations. Entering the freeway is another. There will be times when you just cannot have somebody talking to you in the car.

We will probably have our son drive for quite a while before he attempts to take the test. He will probably be 17 at that point. We are also going to spend some summer months really training him. Otherwise, the chance of an accident is pretty likely. But with LOTS of practice, I do think that getting a license is achievable -- and after you do get your license, you will probably be a GREAT driver, better than other people, because of your ability to follow rules and focus.

It is possible. I got my license when I was 16.

One piece of advice, though: it is important that the person teaching you be someone who will not panic or get angry if you panic. My first few driving lessons (with my mother) were horrible because of this: I would get anxious, say "I can't do this, tell me exactly what to do because I have no idea what I'm doing," and she would freak out and yell at me, and I would panic and just pull over to the side of the road and get out and quit. Then my dad took over teaching me, and it was fine. :/

Can you learn with an automatic car? I have a great sense of direction and generally seem ok at the "aiming the car in the right direction" aspect but the multitasking involved in gear switches was very draining for me. I am much happier driving an automatic.

This is how I am also. In fact, to a fault. People get offended by my distant manner while I'm driving, as I only hear a word or two out of a sentence they might say, and I'll never notice what's going on IN the car. However, I know exactly what's going on OUTSIDE the car, and my mind is 100% on the task at hand. 30 years driving in busy Los Angeles and other places, and probably over a million miles, and never (God willing), any serious accidents. I've been bumped into while at red lights, and when I was young and inexperienced, I lost control of the car in the rain in a hidden pot hole, and crashed into a fence. No injuries, and no other cars involved. That was in 1986. Accidents can happen anytime to anybody, but I believe that Asperger's has no influence one way or the other.

CONFIDENCE does, however!! !! !! If you have too much or not enough, that's a bad thing in driving. In other words, don't put yourself in a situation to be too nervous at first, and don't get a big head either, and you will be fine, and get better with every mile driven .

Charles

I am hopeless at it and being almost 25 I still have no license due to sensory overload, etc. However, I think it is important not to get too stressed out by the whole issue. It is not the end of the world if you don't drive. If you can do it it's great (the only other Aspie I know is very good at it) and if you don't it's fine, too.

I still remember my first driving lesson. My father told me to get in the pickup on the driver's side and my younger brother on the passenger side. He then told me how to start it, how to shift gears, how to press the brakes, and how to steer. Then he got in the back of the pickup and away we went.

I don't think we got above 5 mph the first day.