Statistics on autistic drivers

If it doesn't affect his driving, it's just going to complicate things if you disclose.

He'll be fine. 

Thanks,  I don't think his driving is affected, he's actually quite good, it's just I usually repeat directions as I know what he is like, I suppose he just asks if he is unsure. I know what you mean about the DVLA and although I don't think it affects his driving I would hate it if we disclosed it then it held him back, if that makes sense. Thanks

I wouldn't mention it - if his autism can be deemed to affect his driving then you MUST tell the DVLA - but if he's just really nervous about the test, then he's just like everyone else - just get him to tell the examiner that he's really nervous and to please be very clear in his instructions during the test. 

Hi just reading through this thread and wondering if anyone thinks it would be of any benefit to inform the test centre beforehand of diagnosis. My son is about to do his driving test in a few weeks and I wondered if it would work for or against him if the examiner knew of his Aspergers diagnosis? I just thought they may make allowance for when they give instructions as he tends to need them repeating, but I don't want it to work against him.  Any advice would be appreciated.

I passed my test first time and my tutor told me I was best student ever 

I second this. I had 20+ hrs of lessons. On maybe 3 of those I drove fairly well and enjoyed it but the rest I never felt fully in control and couldn't imagine ever getting to a point where my brain was fast enough.

My OH isn't diagnosed but has autistic traits and took 4 attempts and 60+hrs of lessons to pass his test. He had to drive for work but still gets very stressed at driving anywhere new, or needing to find a parking space, and will take instructions literally (take the next right and he'll drive into someone's drive rather than the next road).

. said:

I'm not sure how to start a new topic but luckily what I want to ask is sort of in the same vaine (I. E driving). 

I can't help with blue badge but I see you did get some help in a different thread, so that's good. I can help with starting a new thread/topic though. 

Starting at the forum main page choose one of the five main topic areas [Autistic Adult, Health and Wellbeing, etc], click on that, then once the page has opened look to the right and just below the header you will see a box that says "New Thread" click that and it will take you to a page that says "Start a Discussion in [Autistic Adult]" or which ever topic you have chosen, this is were you write you post and start your thread. Hope that helps.

I too am I good driver and female. I have to have the music up windows open to concentrate I'm not sure why. I do get frustrated when people dont follow the rules of the road though. I stick to the rules so much that I even indicate if no ones around.

I strictly have no alcohol if I know I'm driving, even mince pies. In 20 years of driving I've had 2 accidents, one was a man going into the side of me and I was too young and naive to protest it (19) but he claimed for whiplash for years as he was a self employed builder apparently. The accident was set up. I now have dash cams which are brilliant. Had a man block me in when I was driving on my side of the road the other day I wound down my window said I have dash cam to which he left. I think he wanted to cause a fake accident. Too much cash for silly things now a days. The other accident was a woman indicated and turned off to my left, I had to stop to let her turn, started back up moving off and she had just used the junction to turn and hit my side. People came out of the bush (in the middle of no where) and asked his her neck! Thankfully one passing car stopped seeing it was a set up so it got thrown out as he was a witness. 

I can get through tight spaces and park and carry out all manoeuvres fine. I think the fact I look alot younger than my years makes people think I'm an easy target

DaveAsperg said:

mild autism with high IQ, will be excellent drivers

I think it's more a matter of one's personal combination of traits rather than overall "mildness" or "severity". I had quite a few lessons, but realised that I would be unlikely to ever be a safe driver. Controlling the vehicle was never too much of a problem, but a combination of attentional, executive functioning, and sensory effects means that I'm simply not able to maintain the necessary situational awareness. I cannot judge either my own speed or that of other vehicles at all well, have great difficulty interpreting what I'm seeing in mirrors, and find my attention wandering or captured by unexpected stimuli at inopportune moments.

I'm not sure how to start a new topic but luckily what I want to ask is sort of in the same vaine (I. E driving). 

At the moment I travel to work by train as the parking where I work is £ 13.00 a day upwards I've had it cost me £21.00, the train is causing me to have massive meltdowns at work because the train is packed and I have to stand for 20 minutes and there is so many triggers for me (same with the bus). 

I had applied for a blue badge as driving for me has a calming effect being focused just on the road, anyway so I enquire today as to what is going on with the blue badge and guess what I have been denied the blue badge... on the ground that I need it for parking .

How many times can I honestly cope with being denied support last year I begged for support from GP, council, autism westmidlands, the list goes on and not one of them have given me any single form of support ( deeply frustrated).  Can anyone here help me in regards to my rights as someone who due to there triggers can't take public transport?

Sweet! We need more great drivers! Some people are just naturally better. I thought I'd be good because I'm amazing at racing games, but alas I am not. Saying that, Mario Kart is quite different to driving on the M6... 

The people I now who are Aspies and not great are relatives, so maybe it just runs in our family! 

I feel the same way.   The "unconscious competence" stage still eludes me and i can't wait for the era of the car culture to wane.  But still, good luck to anyone embarking on this.  It does still open up a lot of doors.   

Hey Nugget, I'm a great driver! And female too, who'd  have thought ;). Can even parallel park......most of the time. Fortunately I passed many moons ago when all you needed to do was turn up and drive without hitting any obstacle. I only had a few lessons if I remember because they were too expensive for me. I think autistic or not you either love it t or not. I do but my NT brother isn't as keen. He hates going on the motorway for example. I love the freedom it gives me and living fairly rural with a rubbish bus service makes me feel less guilty having a car. I will have to cycle to work though due to lack of parking spaces. 

Good luck with the driving. ^^

I know a few Autistic people who can drive. I will admit though they aren't great at it.  I'm sure there are really good Autistic drivers too!! 

I've had to put my lessons on hold as I've really struggled with it. Anxiety definitely doesn't help. I wasn't making any progress and just found the whole thing frustrating. That, and with the way I've been feeling lately, being behind the wheel of a car is the last place I should be.

Even if I did pass, I have no reason to get a car. Couldn't afford the upkeep anyway! Plus purple cars are hard to get and I love all things purple!

It took me three attempts to pass my driving test, and not because I was a bad driver by any means (I'm actually better than most people and, on the rare occasion I do drive, my passengers always comment how good I am); it was due to two main factors:

1. I had no interest in learning (or practising), but my parents insisted that I did (this all happened several years prior to my ASD diagnosis).
2. I couldn't (and still can't) parallel park or reverse park because my brain can't process which way to turn the steering wheel when I'm looking behind me and moving backwards, so I had to wait until I had a test which didn't feature either of these manoeuvres.

Even after passing, I never drove that much so it's never become the 'unconscious competence' that people often refer to. As such, I find it extremely stressful, and physically and mentally draining, and my driving license is nothing more than a form of photo ID to me. Also, I'd much rather spend the car/tax/petrol money on more valuable things, like my mortgage, so there's no real impetus for me to develop my skills, and I personally believe the sooner we all give up our cars and work from home, the better our air quality will be.

I'm perfectly happy on a motorway/dual carriage way, I just really struggle with all the traffic, navigation and parking around urban areas because I'm too anxious and exhausted to believe that I will respond quickly enough to all the changing information, especially if I'm then tired from a day at work or out doing whatever it is I've driven there for. Basically, it's not the getting there that worries me (although it does a bit), it's mostly the fear that I won't have enough spoons to safely make the return journey that stops me going in the first place.

Consequently, I've always either worked from home, lived within walking distance of my workplace, or lived within walking distance of a train station, and I have my groceries delivered these days. It probably does limit my world quite a lot, but then I don't find the world a particularly hospitable place anyway. Oh, and my partner drives, which helps tremendously when it comes to visiting family (a massive cheat, I know!!). For everything else, there's Amazon.

Really good luck to you though. As long as you enjoy it and you're safe, absolutely go for it. 

I love driving, love my car, but not exactly a petrol head. I love driving with dance music on very loud with the base reverberating. It's like my own cocoon where I can regulate temperature, sound etc just to my liking.  I only watch Guy Martin's shows with hubby because he is rather handsome and I like his accent.:) . Didn't know he has was an aspie. Can't wait to tell hubby in the morning that I have another reason to love Guy Martin : )

As a research specialist I would say that such a statistic would be difficult as autism is a spectrum and so severe autism with IQ <70 will definitely not be safe to drive, but mild autism with high IQ, will be excellent drivers and some , who have had cars as their focus, have become superb https://www.driving.co.uk/news/features/guy-martin-racing-formula-ones-jenson-button-aspergers-theres-life-bikes/

Hi 

Good luck with the driving - it's probably one of the most important skills to have these days as it completely opens up your world.    I learned to drive over 30 years ago (it wasn't steam powered  )

My Aspie quest for data meant I loved getting different cars to drive - each one is totally different to the others.   I've probably had approaching 40 cars over the years.

No idea on the facts & figures - it would be interesting to know.