Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi all,
Just wondering about peoples thoughts on this!
I've been finding that driving can often be a bit overstimulating for me. I overall enjoy it, the freedom it gives me is second to none, plus its a good place to scream at my loudest when I need to because no one can hear on the motorway. But i've found that just sheer volume of visual information is sometimes a bit much. Especially when it comes to the constant things ongoing in the mirrors that I can sometimes get distracted by when i need to focus on what's in front of me. This is especially during the dark, headlights in mirrors etc are so distracting and uncomfortable for me.
Obviously driving for long times is tiring for anyone, but even my normal commute home (35-45mins) at the end of the day really just takes out what little energy I have left after work. Any one else feel like this?
Thanks,
Euan.
Very much so, yes. I don't drive much now. My husband does the majority of the driving as I find it too much.
Took me ages to work round the electronic handbrake. Now, it's second nature to me.
Those smart dashboards drive me insane, too. Especially when I make one finger-touch too many. Suddenly there's a Zoom function in my sat nav.
I get those feelings, too.
The Roman Senate in my head distracts me.
I hired a car a couple of years ago. It was making the "bong" noises all the time, oh there's something behind you, oh you should be changing gears now... oh... No. I'm driving you, not the other way around :)
This thing had an "electronic handbrake". The lady at the car hire place was telling me that you need to have your foot on the foot brake to disengage the handbrake. I said to her, well how are you meant to do a hill start then? I've only got two feet. No it will automatically do that for you. What? No thanks.
The screen in my learner car bongs all the time warning of getting too close to people
There's the sat nav too and tells me when to turn on the headlights lol
The dash is full of stuff I don't know about and understand whereas my grandad has a really old fashioned car and it's so much better no gadgets or bleeping:)
I would love a horse and cart ^^
absolutely this. people get excited about "new features". I just see it as more things that are going to inevitably break in a way that requires ever more specialism to repair.
Horse & cart!
The more tech in a car, the more there is that needs unnecessarily fixing.
my car is coming up for 20 years old. in many respect it's too modern for me (displays too many messages about things not working, electric windows, etc), i ripped out the double height CD/Radio/Sat Nav unit thing and replaced it with an old cassette deck I'd kept from the 90s :) I don't know what I'm going to do when this one dies, there's no way I want anything more modern.
This is what I have!
this is a problem with modern cars in general. dashboards used to be speed (revs if you had a better car), mileage, a few indication lights and the fuel gauge. that was it. clean, and uncluttered. there's stuff going on all over the place now. :)
It's also "the same information served in different formats at the same time" that I find too much. My partner's car displays the temperature pop up on the screen when it is changed on the dial. No need! The dial already displays the temperature. He also has about 500 things on his dash display too. The sat nav screen repeats information in different ways on different parts of the screen.
Yes my instructor said it has to be on. I find them distracting
And after it being silent for a while it makes me jump when it suddenly speaks.
it's easier than driving unfamiliar routes for me. it used to be a nightmare before hand as my mind wanders at the best of times so trying to keep a mental pointer to which junction numbers I'd passed and which turns I needed to take / which roads to follow when going somewhere new was complete overload for me. I used to hate it. Now there's fewer spinning plates to have to attend to :)
EuanF said:i've found that just sheer volume of visual information is sometimes a bit much
I don't know how anyone can drive using a sat nav, I struggle with this even as a passenger. I think using these is a requirement now in order to pass your test.
I'd have been better off having found some written material showing (with diagrams) showing how things like a clutch work. It's difficult trying to take in information verbally whilst in charge of a vehicle, at the best of times. The worst thing for me was someone crashed the instructors car just before my test and he'd replaced it with one 10 years more modern (so a jump from normal to power steering, completely different sides for indicators, wipers etc and a whole extra gear (5 of them instead of 4!). :)
Getting soaked like that sounds very unpleasant
Funny though because I was interested in getting a motorbike
Well a scooter actually like one of those 50cc ones but my mum and dad say I have to learn to drive so that's the route I'm heading
Overall I prefer walking but it's just not convenient as I can't walk everywhere I need to go
my main focus now in this weather is how my waterproofs are not waterproof loli ride motorbike to work every day, its cheaper to insure and keep than a car. but the waterproofs are never waterproof, it goes right through and you get freezing and soaked and then have to stand in wet freezing clothes in a outside cold open door warehouse all day through the night.my attention riding in that situation is how the water always seems to pool on the seat somehow then leak through the seat of my water proof pants and then make me feel like im sitting directly in a puddle or have pissed my pants with ice cold water instead
During my lessons I lose focus as well like I'm like
Oh wow look at those cows in that field lol xD
It's hard staying focused on just one thing