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Learning to drive is overwhelming

Donnie'sEyebrow

Hello,

I recently got my license (on my 3rd test attempt) and I'm starting to realise how overwhelming I find driving to be.

Sometimes I enjoy it - it feels good to be good at things - but other times, especially driving home after work or a late night event where I've been masking for hours, it's incredibly stressful. I usually cry on the drive home because everything is so overwhelming and I can't stop without stopping the car, but even then I wouldn't be in a suitable place to calm myself or feel better. Not until I get home.

I think this is a result of:

A. Being worried about how other people perceive me on the road

B. My overworked brain having to process the constant information about the road ahead and around me

C. Not being able to easily 'let go' of small mistakes I make

D. All of these things together distracting my thoughts! Making me worry I'm going to crash

I am still yet to start frequently driving home alone (one of my parents has been coming with me each time). So my experience driving could either get better or worse as I get more independent - I'm willing to find out! But driving is starting to become something I dread. I guess I really would just love to know that I'm not alone, it's hard not to feel isolated in my experiences a lot of the time.

I also feel like people who tell me "it'll get better with time." aren't understanding the complexity of my experience.

Thank you to anyone who reads this and/or shares their experience, it makes me feel less alone as an autistic person in a NT world

Parents

  • i never drove a car, but i always assumed it would be more stressfull.... too many buttons and interface, too many stuff to interact with.... the car is too wide for roads giving no room between lanes and the opposite side driver coming other way always cuts over the lanes anyway and digs into your lane, this gives cars no room to manuever or feel safe in.

    i ride motorbike, so i have alot of room to evade and manuever in my own lane while shaking my head at car drivers from the other way clearly driving over the center line into my lane, if i had a car id have crashed many times over by head on collision due to other drivers doing that.

    also motorbike is very simple and has no distractions and very basic control and interface. very easy to operate. 
    drawbacks are lack of weather protection, and stability is effected by road conditions and weather more.

Reply

  • i never drove a car, but i always assumed it would be more stressfull.... too many buttons and interface, too many stuff to interact with.... the car is too wide for roads giving no room between lanes and the opposite side driver coming other way always cuts over the lanes anyway and digs into your lane, this gives cars no room to manuever or feel safe in.

    i ride motorbike, so i have alot of room to evade and manuever in my own lane while shaking my head at car drivers from the other way clearly driving over the center line into my lane, if i had a car id have crashed many times over by head on collision due to other drivers doing that.

    also motorbike is very simple and has no distractions and very basic control and interface. very easy to operate. 
    drawbacks are lack of weather protection, and stability is effected by road conditions and weather more.

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