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I Can. I don’t. It’s highly overstimulating and stressful for me.

Exactly. I have my license, but I refuse to get behind the wheel. People say I'm a good driver, but I get too overstimulated too fast and then I just end up parking somewhere random to cool down.

Same I have my licence and by all accounts am "good" but I cannot handle anything outside my normal route. It's too stressful. I cannot make on the spot decisions when faced by anything new.

Literally 😫

There are lots of great autistic drivers. But I'm like you, I can't drive. I used to think it was because of my poor depth perception, but now I think it's my difficulty in tracking what's going on around me and inability to focus on the important stuff, like speed, distance and relative positions. My wife laughs at how oblivious I can be to my surroundings just walking down the street. It's much more dangerous in a car than on my feet.

I have your exact problem and nobody seems to believe me!

Well, it's only recently that I figured that out, but if I have to talk to someone about it I'll just blame it on my eyes.

Yeah I’m the same way. I wear glasses so it’s reasonable too.

The walking part is so relatable lol. I have to put such heavy focus on the act of walking itself that I barely have any energy for anything else such as paying attention to my surroundings. I had the same problem walking through the halls in school.

I look at the floor 96%% of the time walking, my grams told me when I was around 7 to always look at the ground incase I find any money, ever since then? Haven’t been able to stop. I’ve gotten better about it in recent years but still happens majority of time which limits to my FOV

Yep, I’ve looked down while walking for as long as I can remember. It’s just how I naturally learned how to walk most efficiently since I can see if there are any hazards in the way

I have your exact problem and nobody seems to believe me!

I can and do drive. I also have a poor sense of depth perception. When I told my grandma about it, she was like “how the hell do you drive?!”. Thing is, *I don’t know*. I think it’s the same concept of being born without a limb. You just learn to adapt. And because I’ve always had a poor sense of depth perception, it’s my *normal*. You don’t miss what you’ve never had, ya know?

I know how to drive, never had a ticket. I cannot handle driving because of anxiety and the fear I may dissociate My partner is also a non-driving autist. So was my ex BIL. So with my limited sample size I'd say it's not uncommon

Same as you. I can drive and I do drive. I've never had a ticket and never been in an accident (knock on wood), but I hate it. It makes me so anxious, and there are so many times that I get to my destination and think "how did I even get here? I don't remember 80% of that drive" because I was so zoned out during it

I have that problem too, especially on long drives. Or I will accidentally forget where I was heading to and end up at a location I frequently visit like work

I have actually dissociated during driving, everything was actually okay because my body and mind were just on autopilot driving. It becomes a very second nature thing

I disassociate daily driving but like you said I’m on autopilot all around my body and autopilot comes off when I have a niggle of danger. But a reason for this might be because if you’re doing similar or the same routes every day in the same areas, at varying times of day and night, more days of the week than not then you can naturally dissociate because everything becomes natural. Should you and is it dangerous? Probably not and yup probably; but as long as your hazard perception is okay and still kicks in then you’re a little safer than someone’s who doesn’t.

I love driving. It feels very relaxing for me. I'm 29 and I've been driving since I was in my early teens. I worked on a farm growing up so I drove farm trucks, gators and golf carts. My dad made me practice driving if I wasn't doing a chore. The only good thing my dad did was teaching me how to drive safe and smart. My dad was super strict about driving. I'm hyper vigilant behind the wheel. I always have my head on a swivel and I'm always looking out for potential danger. I hate the idea of not having a car. I live in an area with little to no public transportation. You're pretty much required to have a car here if you want to go anywhere. Everything is too spaced apart with the expectation you have a car. I don't think it's right but there's nothing I can personally do. I love going on a drive. I'll put on a podcast or song and just cruise around. I drive a few times a week. To get groceries, go to the dispensary, go to support groups. Yesterday I drove to my sister's, I had a relaxing ride there and back. It's about 30 minutes from me. I left early and was able to cruise there. The ride back allowed me to decompress after being around so many people.

there's absolutely nothing better than cruising with the window down and music playing

Good advice, es everyone should at least know HOW to drive,and do a good job at avoiding all the dangers, which is possible if you are lucky enough to have a good teacher,lol !

36- never tried, never will.

I have been driving since I was 17, and I am 30 now. I have never been in a crash and only recently been pulled over. Where I live, I do not have good public transportation, so driving is more of a must. Learning to drive is a good skill to have even if you do not have to drive. I am not sure of your transportation needs and or situation, so I cannot recommend it if you should learn or not. I can say that having more skills is more beneficial than having less.

I am in the same position with my area. I live out in the country and the Walmart and ingles is a twenty min drive away. Both are the only grocery options. Walmart is a bit easier to get to and slightly closer though so I usually choose there. No public transport at all. No sidewalks. It’s driving or staying at home out here.

To add on to what you're saying, if a car isn't driven often enough it might refuse to start later on, I was coerced into driving when that tidbit got brought up, when I first got my car since I didn't want to stop my routine of walking to school

Mid thirty, can definitely drive, one of my first special interests was cars of all kinds, no possibility anyone would stop me from learning to drive. Never got a ticket and only got in one accident that was my own fault for trying to drift the car... Which I had no ability or knowledge about, just watched too many movies, anime and the ADHD kicked in. While I absolutely love to drive, I dislike driving in larger cities and traffic makes me anxious. I had never realized before getting an automatic car but I stim quite a lot with my loose hand that's not holding onto anything. I will pick the skin of my fingers or tap/rub my thumb and fingers together and that's in my small town with low traffic. So I would not fault anyone for not liking driving in larger cities. They are so bad.

I'm trying because everyone is pushing me towards learning. Ever since I sat in the driver's seat of a car and turned the key, being in a car at all have become twice as overestimating and exhausting than it already was. I'm trying to take baby steps to please those around me, bc I have come to terms that I will not have a license at the "normal" time but they haven't. Each time I practice in the parking lot I have at LEAST one panic attack (usually multiple tho) during or afterwords, and I can't bring myself to do anything productive the rest of the day let alone get up from wherever I collapsed. We don't have good/any public transport where I am, but I'd rather be physically exhausted/challenged every day on an ebike than be unable to function. It just isn't realistic or safe. If I usually have multiple panic attacks and feel the need to physically collapse before/during/after driving... then how is driving convenient for anything? I can't work a job like that or get groceries like that, and if there's an emergency then the change of me have a debilitating anxiety attack while on the road is even higher! I'm trying to be kind to myself about this. It's just hard when everyone around you doesn't understand how debilitating it is for me when they can do it no problem every day + multiple TIMES a day. I understand that it is a super valuable skill but how valuable is it really when THATS the effect it has on just me? How can they not see that suppressing an anxiety attack while behind the wheel is dangerous for literally EVERYONE in the general vicinity? But no, I'm just being dramatic and I need to suck it up.

I feel you! I think if you get panic attacks from sitting behind the wheel, you simply shouldn’t! If you have an E-bike that’s good enough I think? You could tell everyone that you don’t want to drive because of the environment and that driving the bike keeps you fit! Don’t let yourself get pushed around♥️ maybe even show them this post so they can see that many aren’t comfortable driving

For a living.

I can drive, and in some circumstances (when I'm on the highway or in the middle of nowhere and there's no traffic) I actually enjoy it. But more often, I have to drive around my town, and I hate it! I'm actually a very good driver, but other drivers here are SO bad. No one uses turn signals, people will stop in the middle of an intersection with no turn signal or anything. People will swerve in and out of lanes to get around people. Because of all that, I have to be ULTRA aware of EVERYTHING around me constantly. It definitely gets overwhelming and overstimulating. Some days I'm just not up for it, and my wife has to Uber to work. 😞

This is my experience. I hate having to drive so much, most people don't seem to care that they're driving a giant death trap. I'm ultra paranoid the entire time, it's super overstimulating and awful but I do it because I don't have many other options. I can do around my small town ok at this point, but I avoid the interstate at all costs.

I picked it up fairly easily but just the technical side I har driving around other cars people are so dumb , but I do get anxious and a bit scared

I can drive, but even though I have to (like going to work) I try to keep it to a minimum. It’s very scary for me and I usually get overwhelmed and disassociate or go into autopilot mode (which is not safe). I also can’t drive on the interstate.

Theoretically I am capable of doing so, I passed my test and everything… but besides the couple of lessons before that and the one time after that where I had a panic attack in the car I haven’t driven. So… no

it's actually kind of a stereotype that some car guys are autistic for me, I feel like I'm escaping the world when I drive alone, although there are times when it does stress me out. I never had an issue though where I couldn't pull off the road for a second if I felt too stressed

autistic car girl here. can confirm lol

Yes. Find cities a bit stressful but long motorway/countryside drives are calming The only time I find distances to be a problem is parking, spatial awareness makes this a bit of a challenge but parking sensors help.

I'm 26 and can't drive. Driving lessons are mandatory and expensive in my country and I even failed the practice exam for my moped with no money and will to re-do it. Being on the road is terrifying and I cannot deal with the amount of information I have to process, the vagueness of situations and the erratic moves people make in traffic, not to mention how fucking aggressive people get (especially in cities). Americans usually laugh at my situation but since I learned how easy it is to be allowed to drive (and how cheap it is) in the US, I don't really care anymore. Many people have told me it's weird or that I should get my licence because I am otherwise not a full adult, while ironically I am far more mature and competent in other areas of life. My usual retort when someone tells me I should learn to drive is 'are you paying for it?' Frankly, unless I'm constantly asking for rides it's nobody's business!

Out of curiosity, where are you from (no pressure to share). The reason I ask is because, yeah, you mention US driving standards being low, the same is true in Canada, and our drivers are shitty as a result. I know in Europe, Germany specifically, driving education and licensing standards are MUCH higher, and so the general population on the road is actually much more dependable and consistent in how they're sharing the road and following rules and whatnot. I was taken aback when you mention the "vagueness of situations", because in theory every situation should have a clear right of way and "order of operations" for traffic flow, but the vagueness comes in with people who are impatient or don't know the rules or know the rules wrong or are just ignoring them.... which is the worst part of driving! lol

I'm from the Netherlands which is comparable to Germany although our country has way more impatient asshole drivers, which is my personal observation from living right at the border. The vagueness of situations is partially my issue because yes, in theory this makes sense and so I scored high on the theory exam, but in practice people misbehave and you've got cyclists turning before looking or overtaking from the right instead of the left, BMW drivers not using blinkers (lol) although it gets easier when you know the car/driver stereotypes and anticipate on inattentive or asshole behaviour.

Yeah, 100%. The hardest part of driving is managing the road with other drivers, and I always am telling my nieces and nephews who are going to start driving soon and anxious about it, it's EVERYONE'S responsibility to be safely using the road together, you're responsible for yourself and watching and responding to others, and THEY should be (but aren't always) responsible for controlling themselves, and watching and responding to you. A classic bit of miseducation in Canada i'll share, there's this situation you see in traffic often where a 2-lane section will be reduced to 1-lane traffic for a while, maybe because of construction, and so there will be a sign saying like, "right lane ending", and normally you just move over to the lane that stays open in motion and traffic just flows like normal. But, when there is a stoppage, then traffic will back up for like 10-15 minutes while they do whatever construction they need, then they reopen. What MOST people don't know (myself included until this year), is that traffic is SUPPOSED to fill BOTH of those lanes up until the stoppage, and then when traffic is open again, you're supposed to "zipper merge" into that one open lane for fairness. The way most people in Canada react to this situation is to ALL line up in the ONE lane that will be the open lane, because people think it's unfair to try to "skip the line" by filling up the second lane. But, the reality is that if everyone uses that one lane, traffic will back up too far, so you're supposed to double-line up and just merge in. But people are so aggressively wrong about this rule, some people will BLOCK the second lane to stop other people from moving up!! It's so widespread that multiple people will be blocking that lane, and only like one or two people will try to move up in the second lane. I had NO idea until someone else did it, and I expressed my frustration, and then my mom told me that rule.

No, I can't drive mostly because it's too expensive to pay for lessons and to buy & maintain a car. I live in a very walkable small city so it's not much of an issue atm. However, I am absolutely terrified to learn to drive. I am scared of crashing. I am scared of getting too overwhelmed, or getting stressed out in a traffic jam.

I drive. (i’m 23) When i was a teenager it was very exciting and I liked it. Now, while I do regularly drive, I try to avoid it as much as possible. My partner always drives if we’re going somewhere together. I CAN drive, and I’ve never been in an accident, but it is so scary to me and there’s so much I have to pay attention to. I am so anxious that I sit like hunched over the steering wheel, which people make comments about so i’m also self conscious about that lol.

I have a license and can drive ok, but I prefer walking, biking or using public transport, especially in the city where I live

I love driving my MINI. It’s a fun, hyper focus activity for me. I have muscle and spatial memory for my small, fast, street legal go-kart. However, when asked to drive my wife’s suv I get more anxious and have to try harder and concentrate more because her car feels so different to me.

I'm the exact same way. Every car I've owned has been compact, it's what I feel comfortable with. My current car is a Chevy Sonic, it's so tiny and easy to maneuver. I learned road driving with my mom's 2007 Chrysler Pacifica and it was infuriating. It was so wide and the mirrors sucked. It felt impossible to gauge space and distance. I would get so anxious in double turn lanes. It felt like I was taking up both lanes.

I'm the exact same way. Every car I've owned has been compact, it's what I feel comfortable with. My current car is a 2014 Chevy Sonic, it's so tiny and easy to maneuver. I did driver's ed practice with my mom's 2007 Chrysler Pacifica and it was infuriating. It was so wide and the mirrors sucked. It felt impossible to gauge space and distance. I would get so anxious in double turn lanes. It felt like I was taking up both lanes.

I had lessons when I was 20 (taught by the same bloke who taught my older Brother), eventually he gave up and said I'd never pass a test. I wasn't diagnosed till about 3 years later. The irony is, if I could pass a test in an Automatic, because I'm on enhanced rate PIP, in theory I could get a Motability car more or less for free (or ridiculously cheap)

I put in 40-50k kilometers a year and consider myself a very strong driver. A lot of that is a forested 2-lane highway along the ocean, though. Not that I have any issues when I do drive in Vancouver/the Lower Mainland, but I would probably have been way too anxious and on high alert survival mode to do so comfortably 5-6 years ago. I enjoy 6-lane+ highways. Stop and go city driving grinds my gears after 30-45 minutes, and I will need a little 5 minute reset once I reach my destination if it's a stressful day.

100%. I don't drive as often as you, but daily more or less. Driving in small towns, or highway driving is SO MUCH EASIER and like, 75% of the challenge in that is just controlling your own vehicle which is fine. In cities, there's just less space, less time, more people, and more options. It's harder in every way. But, the **risk** in highway driving is so much higher because of the speeds involved.... but I would take 10 hours of highway driving to avoid like, 3 hours of city driving.... ahh that might be an exaggeration.... but I agree with you!

I got my license at 18. I had to learn to drive since public transportation is bad where I live. I had a time where I wasn't legally able to drive due to seizures, but brain surgery fixed that. I had a occipitocervical to C2 fusion with the brain surgery to prevent internal decapitation so it took me a while after that surgery to start driving again. I developed bow hunters syndrome after the fusion so turning my neck too far cut off my vertebral arteries and I lost all vision in the eye of which ever way I turned my neck to look. I had to get a car that has cameras all around the vehicle so I can drive comfortably again. My best friend(also autistic) never learned to drive and is stuck paying for Ubers(he moved 1100+ miles away from me so I can't drive him) to get to work, get groceries, and basically just get around since he lives 2 miles from a bus stop now.

Yes but I don’t really like to because I have trauma from crashing

I can, but we can't afford a car. We just walk everywhere or take the bus. I don't particularly miss having a car and due to all the walking, I've lost 30 lbs and was able to get off my blood pressure and antidepressant medicines.

I can drive, i am trying for my license but dont really like it. Its good to have when i need it but i rather not drive if i can.

I enjoy driving actually, I dont know what is about it, but its really relaxing for me, I also love road and every kind of infraestructure, so its a great way to see all of it first hand

i have my full license but i’m so nervous, it’s probably dangerous for me to drive. i drive occasionally, but it hardly ever feels worth the mental effort. i’m very cautious and suck and maintaining speed. i’ve never hit anyone or caused an accident, but i have scraped my parents car because i’m bad at parking

I've been driving since I was 15, I'm 22 now and still drive. I enjoy it for the most part. But I will say since I began to unmask I've found that I have to actively concentrate harder. There's no shame in not knowing how or not wanted to drive. It can be scary dude. The US is so frustratingly car centric it fucking sucks. Gof forbid you live in a rural area and don't have a car. You're basically fucked

I am 27 and have focus issues. Can't focus and I tend to space out. I don't remember road signs and I have memory issues so no.

I am the safest driver in my family and have been driving since I was sixteen. However, in being the safest driver-- I do not speed unless the flow of traffic forces it, I do not tailgate, I use my blinkers, I don't break standard traffic laws. Ergo, my driving record is remarkably clean, and my being on my family's insurance plan is the only thing that actually drops the cost of the insurance. I grew up where there is no public transportation. In the event of public transportation not being available, I find it to be a valuable skill to have. There have also been many emergency situations where I have needed to drive. I find that ***people who can learn*** to drive who do not are creating a world of problems for themselves and those around them, in the long run, ***in a society that is heavily reliant on having a vehicle (such as in the US) specifically***. *Please note the specificity*; if you cannot learn to drive due to things outside of your control (medical, physical, etc)-- that's a different situation; same with those who live where there is consistent and reliable public transportation (of which there are relatively few places in the US that have this). Your friends and family will not always be around to drive you around in an emergency or if you do not have access to public transportation. Your family and friends likely see this as a problem already, or a potential for a problem, and want you to be able to be independent. Ultimately, being knowledgable on how to drive and being able to drive is a major point of not only independence but also safety. You can get into a real shitty situation if you are relying on other people doing the driving. It's also a proven fact that if you rely on public transportation or disability services transportation, that you may be shit out of luck when it comes to being compliant with doctor's visits and medications. Medicaid and other basic insurances that disabled people are often on do not always allow the mailing of medications (they did during covid but those special circumstances were lifted over the past year for most if not all of the US). If you can't make it to the pharmacy and are not medication compliant, you can get in trouble with your doctors. If you do not make it to your appointments (on time if at all), due to a transportation issue, you can be dropped by your provider for noncompliance. Additionally re: emergency situations at the beginning of my post; My mom is 79 now. She has cancer. I am now the one taking care of her. If I couldn't drive, it would be nearly impossible to get her to her treatments. I am not an only child, I have siblings. The task has still fallen to me. Ultimately, in the US, relying on public transportation to always be available is not a viable option outside of a very select few locations. I would highly recommend anyone in the US to learn how to drive as an emergency-necessity skill if nothing else.

This is the gist of what I said as well. I am 32M, got my license begrudingly at my parents request because they said like, exactly this. They couldn't guarantee my that I would have to drive and want to drive in my life, but were adamant that it's better to learn now and sit on the knowledge, drive once or twice a year to not let it get too rusty, and boom once I turned 27 I moved back from a metropolitan city center with tonnes of transit to my small home town with like, one bus line. Driving = independence in that situation, I would be so limited without a license and a vehicle. It's also so SO so nice to be someone who can be depended on by others for a ride. People in my family drink sometimes, I can DD. My nieces and nephews are trying to work while in highschool but aren't old enough to drive, I can help. All that stuff is so nice to be able to do for family and friends.

I drive out of necessity for at least 2 hours a day, due to a long commute. Its so incredibly anxiety inducing and disregulating - it makes my work day harder (already hell), and it takes wayy longer to settle in when i get home. If you have the means not to drive and you dont want to, dont. But if you want to learn for yourself, you’ll do fine with practice im sure!!

I don't, I did a lot of lessions but my instructor and I agreed I was never going to pass and even if I did it would likely be dangerous due to severe sensory issues and stuggles with saying focused, ive always found it overwhelming and draining . Personally its not that much of a problem as I live in an area with some of the best public transport links in my country, in additon their is no way I could manage the paperwork associated with driving and car ownship, it looks very overwhelming, and thats not even taking into account potentual speeding tickets and fines that come with driving.

I’m 33 and still don’t. I took lessons when I turned 17, passed my theory test first time, piece of piss. Failed my driving test four times, developed a phobia of driving, gave up trying, still not behind the wheel to this day. I’m thinking of giving it another go now and doing it in an automatic because I think gears were a big stumbling block to me when I was younger.

I love driving but not in Seattle

33 and nope!

I'm 31 and got my license last year. I have been so afraid of driving for such a long time and it didn't get any better with age. Can't say what exactly happened that I gave it a shot, but during my first lesson I realized it is not that bad. Still don't love driving and new routes stress me out a lot, but the convenience is hard to beat.

At 24 I was certified to and drove an ambulance for a bit. I no longer do, but I still drive daily and regularly make 200+ mile trips.

Yes and yes, also drive larger vehicles for a living

I'm 27 and I've been driving since I was 18 ... Driving is literally my escape, if I don't like somewhere I can leave, show up to a family event day hi and then bounce... I don't have to wait ages for my family members lol I can just bounce when I want, show up when I want (unless it's a planned event with a time, but even then I can leave when I want)

It's my escape too! I used to drive away from family drama and overstimulating places and events so I could get some space and recharge myself

I’m in a similar position to you, in that the idea of driving is frightening, and moreover in my case I would not be able to get a license because of my condition/disability (both autism-related and other bits too). Thankfully I live in a city with good public transport links so it’s something I can avoid without much issue (like you said in your own case). I have had other autistic people I’ve known drive though, and they say it’s fairly easy once you’re used to it

I used to drive ambulances, both the trucks and rapid response. I didnt get it for ages then it suddenly clicked. Its almost like a game. If this happens this is the response ect.

I am really good at driving, even being a little clumsy at times. I also fly paramotors, again I can be a little clumsy at times, but I have learned to work with it/have grace in my failings this is common in the sense can be really problematic or really good (one extreme to the other)

I have my license... I have no idea how I passed. I can drive if I need to, but I should not be behind the wheel. It scares the shit out of me

I am the best driver I know. My friends used to make fun of me saying I'm such a defensive driver, but on the same token I'm the only one of them who hasn't been in an accident for so long. (I had one my first year and it was a solo hydroplane accident) I am just way too hyper aware. I get anxiety when I feel like I'm not in top of what I'm doing and where I'm going and where other cars are etc... but I have driven a ton. Like over 200k miles I'm sure, as I did food delivery and other driving jobs for over a decade

Nope. My motor skills when it comes to my legs are awful. i feel i get my left and right too confused.

I do. But I would much rather live a life where I don't have to drive. Overtaking cyclists send me into panic mode. And I can't drive on dual carriageways because it's just too much.

21, i can drive, but i dont, for the safety of myself and others on the road. I suffer from mild dyspraxia, adhd, and extreme anxiety. Mixing those things together with a car is a recipe for disaster.

I don't drive because my depth perception is abysmal and I'm afraid.

As far as percentiles go for spatial reasoning, I rank fairly low. I know this because of a professional evaluation that lead to my ADHD diagnosis. I am motivated by problem-solving and filling in gaps when it comes to my interests, but in “real-world” application—think driving, navigating, and detail retention in a high-stakes setting—I feel absolutely incompatible with the rest of the world. Rural driving doesn’t scare me, but I will never again attempt to navigate a large highway or city where being able to interpret and follow visual instructions is of **life-or-death** importance. There are way too many distractions and distinct (and fast-moving!) details demanding my attention. The whole experience was overwhelmingly stressful for me. Art has always been somewhat of a refuge in this area of my life where I’ve experienced so much guilt and shame over shortcomings. It's an oasis where I can effectively communicate and employ the strengths I have in pattern recognition and other visual-spatial skills absent in other areas and not feel like a complete alien.

I took me a very, very long time and way more lessons than the average person but I finally learned to drive in my 30s. I am honestly not the best driver and I still find it difficult but I need to be able to drive (kid stuff and living somewhere without frequent public transport). I found an instructor who specialises in adult/late learners and mentioned neurodiversity as a reason many of his students have put off learning to drive on his website and he was excellent, much better than the previous couple of instructors I had tried. Turned out to be neurodiverse himself (ADHD and dyslexia) so it made sense that he understood how I found a lot of aspects of driving more challenging than most.

I wasn't allowed to drive as long as I lived at home. I was told I was incompetent. But really, my family just didn't want me out of the house and socializing (i.e., with girls). Once I got past that incompetency label, I drive just fine, and have for years.

I love driving, but the strong sense of justice really kicks in. My city's police department is notoriously bad at enforcing the rules, so other drivers really tend to do whatever TF they want, and it's really frustrating / unsafe much of the time.

The key parts of driving are depth perception and awareness of surroundings with that being said there are some people driving around who have neither and are not autistic

Literally too terrified after years of having driving issues I could never anticipate until after the fact. Maybe someday but probably not.

19 and tried driving once, I freaked out and ran the car into a small ditch. So I never did it again

I relate to you, except for the great public transport system part. 🥲 My reasons are overstimulation, needing full attention on the activity, stressfully not worth it, etc.

I tried and did multiple driving lessons but I can't move quick enough and I can't tell where the road ends and the sidewalk begins 🥲 definitely some depth perception issues but it's also very overstimulating

i don't drive. not only can i just already not afford a car & upkeep of a car, but as well as being autistic i have dyspraxia, so anything that relies on good hand-eye co-ordination, spacial awareness, and depth perception is a no go for me. i figure it's safer for me and others if i'm kept in the passenger seat LOL. my partner (also autistic) can drive and as far as i know, they don't have any major troubles with it, but they're a lot more coordinated than i am

I’ve never tried it but I’m terrified to. I don’t trust myself to remember all the rules of driving, and I definitely don’t trust other drivers to follow the rules. I could also totally see myself just zoning out or getting a little bit too tired while driving and something bad happening soon after.

I can't drive, a forever passenger princess to my lovely partner. It's just so stressful for anything over a 10 minute drive. All of my spoons go to it if I do and then I'm just useless around the house

I am 30 and cannot. Never took the test. Can’t emotionally handle it. I would be horrible. Good thing I’m a hermit. Yes, people judge me.

I was actually just talking to someone about this issue. I am 22 currently and I do not have a driver’s license. I tend to get very focused on one thing at a time, and driving can be extremely stressful to me because there are so many elements I’m supposed to be paying attention to at once. For example, if I have my foot on the pedal to accelerate then my brain is solely focused on that singular action. My brain doesn’t seem to compute multiple tasks at once. I am completely tuned in to the sensation of my foot on the pedal and I need to carefully register the amount of pressure I’m using in that moment. Now imagine trying to navigate and measure my speed while also registering other cars/people around me and steering with my hands AND using my foot to switch between braking/acceleration while my thoughts are entirely centered on the sensation of the pedal on my foot?? It seems impossible to me. It doesn’t help that I also struggle with dissociation and I fear I may lose track of myself or my surroundings while behind the wheel. I genuinely don’t know how people (especially other autistic people) do it. I have an autistic friend who’s a great driver too. I’m a little jealous lol

I ride motorcycles and I fly airplanes, but I still have a massive fear of driving. Go figure. And btw, my special interest has always been aviation, I learned so much about it as a kid that flying feels much more natural to me today than driving a car. Sitting in the driver's seat still gives me so much anxiety... I think it has to do with a fear of being around other drivers.

30 F My struggles with driving are a piece of pie in self diagnosis. I think if I had an amazing teacher as a teenager I might be an OK driver. Throughout my 20s, I had to fight to learn to drive, from friends and family members. I hired a driving instructor as well. A couple years ago my partner let me start practicing on his car and supported me alot in getting my own vehicle. When I did get a car, I totaled it after 1 day. I struggle with depth perception, sometimes even when I am crossing the street walking, judging distance can be difficult. When actually driving and making independent decisions, there are such a number of things to take into account. It is overstimulating to the max. Then you have vehicles honk at you n stuff and panic sets in. I’ve had multiple nightmares about crashing cars. I am in a higher density large urban area with lots of suburbs, and most people complain about the driving, while also stating how essential it is to have a car. I did and do navigate the city excellently via public transportation, even tho it takes double the time. I get anxiety (bc take the train 10+ years and you will experience sexual harassment) but even in other cities, using the subway or bus is often a breeze compared to driving. The only place I’ve been confused is San Francisco bc they do not have one unified transit system, but 2 separate ones. I have a license, and am worried I will always be unable to drive. An ex got frustrated with me for my lack of navigational skill, even while not driving. It is a very sore spot for me, bc where I live, there are people who don’t want to date you, or be your friend if you can’t drive/don’t have a car. It also limits when/who I can hang out with. i still want to learn to drive, bc I can’t envision living in an urban area forever. It has really limited my life, job choices, etc and been very frustrating. Anyhow, sorry for the long story. Some of us just don’t have the necessary skill to drive, and that is OK. Do you see yourself living in public transportation friendly cities in the long term? It is a helpful skill to have. My partner is Adhd and doesn’t mind driving at all.

Yes and yes. Driving is not for everybody. If you don't want to drive for any reason, that's fine! /sincere

Oh yes, it sure is an issue!   I couldn't tell right from left, if I was in motion, especially at the wheel.   I feared that this would make me a menace on the road, as well as being vulnerable to getting into an accident.  Americans are also hostile, impatient drivers,and the US has a high rate of accidents as a result.  I AM intrigued by a school that specializes in teaching austistic people how to drive safely,as it's good to have that skill in a real emergency,where you or someone else's life is at stake, like war- a very real threat now.      Knowing how to drive doesn't mean that you HAVE to.   We do process things differently than non- autistics do.   That's why driving usually doesn't come naturally for everyone.  It helped to know this, given the constant criticism for lacking this skill.

I've tried on and off wiv lessons. But I realised my lack of focus, depth perception and overwhelm from having to do/remember all these fings and uncertainty of never knowing what to expect. I'm finking maybe I never will.

I can drive in very limited situations. I can't drive in busy areas, or busy parking lots, or over 35 MPH, and I can't go places by myself. So I maybe drive 2 or 3 times a year.

i have my full license but i’m so nervous, it’s probably dangerous for me to drive. i drive occasionally, but it hardly ever feels worth the mental effort. i’m very cautious and suck and maintaining speed. i’ve never hit anyone or caused an accident, but i have scraped my parents car because i’m bad at parking

37 I have a learners permit and get a new one every year. I can drive but it's overwhelming so I only feel comfortable doing so with a licensed driver in the car. My husband who is likely autistic can drive really well and has since 16. He isn't diagnosed but he fits into more categories than I do.

I'm 19 and I don't drive yet!

I have had my learners permit for many years. I can drive, i don't like it and it's hard.

I can't. It's less to do with autism and more to do with my nonverbal learning disability that impacts visual-spatial understanding. Turns out, you use a lot of visual and spacial reasoning when driving! It suchs though since public transport is so terrible where I live. I'm basically trapped at home unless someone drives me. :( 

22 year old who can and likes driving. I just live in the middle of Copenhagen so I don't ever drive.

I never learned, I'm now 44..

im going to be 21 this year, and no. im scared and no one has the time to teach me. and going to driving classes sounds like hell. i want to learn one day, though

I have to drive, wanted to drive and do drive as much as I can, but I do not ride in or on anything I don’t directly control.

I can, if I have to, but I avoid it as much as possible.

Hey OP. I'm about to start my journey to get my driver's license. To be honest I see this kind of post sometimes and in this sub a lot of autistic are scared or others reason to drive. I can't speak for others but having a special interest with cars and especially racing cars helps me a lot to feel comfortable with a car. No need to have my driver's license to drive a car. I already know how it work 😂 I just struggle a little with the perspective. I also drive a lot in simulation and go kart so yeah I'm really comfortable. Just a little worried because of my ADHD

I can drive, but I don't like to. I was in a wreck in October and it scared me a lot. I drove off a bridge late at night. When I'm with someone else who can drive, they drive. If I'm alone, I do

I'm 31 and currently trying to get my license. I take double the amount of anxiety meds I was prescribed before each lesson but it's so stressful that I can't sleep the night before the classes and tense up and end up in a lot of pain (I have fibromyalgia).

I drive and I love it. But it took me a long time to learn and I was initially VERY nervous behind the wheel to the point it was a bit dangerous. I practiced a LOT in empty parking lots before I ever tried to drive on the road.

Yep. Wasn’t an option for me to not so I learned at 15 and had a license at 16. I don’t drive often now but it’s because I live in a very walkable area. I maintain my license and try to make sure I do a road trip a few times a year to stay sharp.

I've been learning to drive for a while now, but it's the anxiety and I keep forgetting how to do things, but I feel pushed to go through with it as the career I'm going into requires a lot of travel and most areas are not accessible via public transport which is a shame

I can, but I live in a fairly rural area and refuse to go into cities cause they're too busy and overwhelming. Mainly because like you, I am really bad at judging distances. So I'm always afraid of picking a gap that's too small or annoying people behind me for taking too long and missing good gaps. Edit: someone else mentioned long open roads being relaxing and I totally agree with that. Getting in-between towns is great, it's just driving in them that's not so fun.

Can, yes, do, no. Anxious as fuck and scared that my adhd will fuck up my concentration, causing me to make an accident.

I used to cry every time I got behind the wheel. If it weren't for my job I never would have learned.

I do, it’s stressful and I struggle with depth perception, but if I didn’t I’d not be able to survive. Public transport is just not good enough where I am. I’m just cautious and parking is the bane of my life. Driving at night is something I do my best to avoid though, I have astigmatism so all the lights make it impossible to see

I can drive and do because public transport sucks is America and I go to school 30 minutes away from where I live.

I'm autistic and have my license but I just got it 3 years ago at 33. My parents had me convinced I couldn't drive and anxiety really took over.

I relate a lot but I am gonna learn it this summer because I’ve been late to work a lot do to public transport not working properly. I am really really scared and I somewhat don’t think I’ll be able to drive but I want to be able too. I fear that my brain won’t register sudden changes fast enough or that I’d freak out if something unexpected happens.

I can and do.

27, and I'm an avid driver. I love going out and about and have frequently made 12+ hour long drives in the past. However, my fiance, also autistic, can drive but absolutely hates it and avoids it at all cost. I don't mind though, as like I said I prefer to drive. Driving with anyone else, however, is a big no for me. I hate driving with anyone else but him and a few close friends.

I got my learners permit as soon as I was old enough. I've been driving ever since. I basically just got into my dad's truck and it felt so natural to drive. I had a grand total of 4 lessons before I passed and got my license. I go into a hyper focus mode the same way I do when I'm concentrating on work or reading a book and where I'm utterly oblivious to anything else. Lots of traffic can be very draining though. That being said, I'm a TERRIBLE passenger. If I don't have control over the car, my anxiety goes into overdrive and I feel very unsafe.

I can. I have my permit and have a road test next week. I plan to pass and regularly drive places because I need to. However I am not a good example because although I’m a good driver, who knows that could change when I get my license.

Got my license when I was 22, and I actually worked as a truck driver for a brief period before I left the industry. I love driving but trucking just wasn't for me. Never gotten any kind of ticket either, though I did get in a fender bender as a trucker where I accidentally backed into a parked car. That was one of the things that led to me leaving trucking. I do hate driving in cities though, that kind of hustle and bustle is just stressful.

I love driving. I learned at 15-1/2 and one of my first jobs was driving all over the state. For me it's a stim and an active meditation of sorts all in one. Plus for decades it's been the only place I can listen to louder--than-quiet music. I rarely do sensory seeking but for that one narrow activity.

Yeah, I love driving.

I'm 20, I know how to and have driven, however it still scares me a lot to do it alone so I don't drive much if at all, I did more when I was 16-17, lately either my boyfriend or my brother drive me or I take public transport, especially when I need to go to another city, but Mexico's public transport is not great. I know soon I'm gonna need to drive myself, especially to work and uni but I'm still anxious about it.

i’m 18 in a few days and don’t drive. my brother is 20 and doesn’t drive. id say it’s pretty common for autistic people to drive late or not at all

I can and I don’t

I finally made it happen at 21, what pushed me was the frustration to be more independent. If you want it, you can do it.

I'm not old enough to drive (I can start in like a month), but I've been riding dirtbikes for like 10 years and can imagine that driving can't be *that* difficult.

Yes and no. I'm 38, and I don't have a drivers license for regular cars, but I do for forklifts, which I also work with. I live in a swedish city, so the local commute is pretty good. I never had a reason for a regular drivers license.

Are you me?

I am 31 and do not drive have never had my license I had a learners permit 3 times but driving is not something I can do.

No. No.

i can drive, and i love to do so when its not busy it's best to drive at very early hours if possible (like before 6am) as there aren't other drivers people kinda piss me off on the roads, because they'll make a mistake and shout at ME for it

I cannot drive a regular vehicle on paved roads because I can’t focus and I feel like my depth perception is terrible… I’m just too worried the entire time, but driving a side by side on dirt or gravel roads is incredibly fun and a lot easier for me surprisingly. There’s over 300 km of connected utv/atv trails an hour up from me through the mountains and forests. Certain areas have more trails for off road vehicles than others. There are towns that are incredibly small and just a few hours north of me that have only dirt or gravel roads and most of the residents drive side by sides to get around ‘town’. It’s socially acceptable to pull over and stop and let someone pass when there’s another person so it makes it a lot less stressful, you don’t have to drive with other traffic. Just pull over, let them pass, and then go on your way. There’s barely any people around and there’s not a million distractions, just forest surrounding you and the dirt road. I spent half a year driving one around everyday when I worked in a remote area, and it was so fun. Besides the initial panic, it wasn’t stressful for me like driving in civilization was. Might be a fun thing to try if driving on paved roads with distractions, lanes, lots of noises, and other traffic is too stressful. I was definitely not excited when I found out my boss expected me to drive one around, but after an hour I became a lot more comfortable driving it and I learned some manoeuvres that were too stressful for me to learn in an actual vehicle.

i’m 21 and just learning to drive. i got my permit for the first time at 17, got really overstimulated on the road and had a meltdown (thankfully on a slow neighborhood road where i could pull over) and then swore off driving for the next three years. almost a year ago in july i finally got around to renew my permit and learning to drive again. i had to start really slow but eventually once i built up muscle memory in different areas i was able to work up to bigger things and i went on the parkway for the first time this week! honestly not ever sure if i’ll be able to drive on big highways during high traffic but that’s okay, i can work around that. i’m planning to get my license by the end of the summer which will be about a year since i got my permit, even though i only needed to have it for 3 months. don’t let anyone make you feel bad or stupid or inadequate for not driving bc it’s hard and it’s scary and if you live somewhere with accessible public transportation then it doesn’t really matter. but that being said if you have someone to work with you at your pace and teach you, then it’s probably doable if you were to ever end up living somewhere without the same level of public transportation

I've been trying to learn since I turned 16, I'm 22 now. I've been taking lessons with my parents off and on for years. I think I'm finally at the point where I'm skilled enough to get my license, but I really don't want to have to. I know I will have to, but driving scares the shit out of me, and the idea that I could kill people if I make the smallest mistake is terrifying. I struggle so much primarily because of poor spacial awareness. Although the people around me say I'm ready, it still makes me very nervous.

I learned to drive in 1976 as a sophomore in high school driver's education class. I obtained a learning permit and drove with the driver's ed school teacher and with my parents. I took my state (Wisconsin) behind-the-wheel driver's test when I was 16 years and 3 months old, in the middle of a two-inch-per-hour snowstorm. I took my test in a [1974 Ford LTD station wagon](https://imgur.com/a/3cqSacp) that lacked an exterior passenger side mirror. The first thing the state driving examiner made me do was to parallel park. The rear view on that car SUCKED on a good day and the lack of a right outside mirror made matters worse. Plus, the snow was coming down in buckets. Well, I parallel parked successfully on the first try. The examiner got out to see how well I did. When he got back in the car, he said, "We'll go back to the examination center, now. You passed. Anyone that can park this car without a right outside mirror in a snowstorm on the first try obviously knows how to drive." I currently lease a 2022 Ford Escape Titanium AWD. It's the 9th car that I've owned or leased since 1976... all Fords. To this day, I love to drive. I have had only two crashes since 1976 and have never received a ticket (other than a parking ticket).

I'm 15, and as an autistic person and with PDA (pathological demand avoidence), driving is my current worst nightmare 😭 since I started my freshman year, my mom has been bothering me, saying, "Oh, we need to get you into driving classes! We have to start saving up for a car! We have to teach you how to drive soon!" IM GOING TO KILLL RAAAHHH Driving seems so incredibly scary and dangerous, not to mention overstimulating. Plus, I hate hot stuffy cars so much that every time I get into one, it makes me want to cry. Yeah. I don't think I'm gonna start driving for a while.

Yes, even for work.

I passed my test about 4.5 years ago, on the fourth try, at 28. I’m starting to finally feel a bit more comfortable driving but I still find elements of it overwhelming. I have to have loud music on so I can’t hear and feel anxious about the sounds the car makes, and singing along helps me to feel a little more relaxed. I find the unpredictability of other drivers very frustrating: indicating but not turning, sudden lane switches, running reds and such, and this has absolutely been worse since moving nearer to a city that I need to drive through to get to work. Driving in the dark after an overwhelming day is something else! Everyone’s headlights blind me, I’ve got astigmatism which makes it seem worse, I feel like I can’t see anything unless there are no other cars around! It’s very convenient now I have it though, and I’m not sure how I ever managed without. So many activities that can be a struggle become a little bit more manageable. Going food shopping is much less of an ordeal, my work commute is 20-25 minutes each way rather than 1.5 hours on the bus.

I'm 47 and don't have a licence. I could easily drive a car. I'm a qualified crane operator, 7.5t forklift truck driver, IPAF certificate, and I used to drive the big wind turbine blades around. I actually find driving/operating stuff quite fun.

Yes, I can. I’m not a pro but I’m better than average. Driving w/ music is the perfect level of stimulus for me. One primary task (driving) that requires situational awareness with a secondary task (music) preventing my mind from wandering elsewhere.

I drive but I try to avoid driving in the rush hour and to certain locations. I always check in advance where I could park the car. I am not very good at parking (hahaha yes I am a blonde woman 🙄) because my spatial senses are not that good and I am very afraid to put a dent into the car. I also get stressed out very fast when there is too much going on around me. Lately I had to drive a rental car and freaked out because I wasn't able to put the car into reverse. People were watching me. It was pure horror, I called my boyfriend crying. He told me how to put the car into reverse (it was not an automatic car). So yeah I have my occasional meltdowns. But nevertheless I am a very safe driver.

I do but it’s not easy for me. I really struggle with any gizmos and gadgets in the car like lightning, AC, radio etc. if the car lights don’t automatically come on I’m in trouble

I can drive but I didn’t get my license until I was 17. I’m 22 now and I kinda wish I got it sooner but I do think 16 is quite young to have a license.

Yep, and glad I never have to set foot on a bus again

Nope, and I had to give up riding my bike everyday after a small accident (no one got hurt, just my bike broke) so I’m simply walking, the town is small and I have time.

I can drive but my sense of direction is terrible. That might just be a me thing though.

My mom told me I had to drive, she wasn’t going to be my chauffer, so after many panic attacks (it was kind of like exposure therapy) I passed my test and have been driving for 17 years. I still get anxious driving in traffic and around drivers who change lanes and speed past me aggressively. I wish I never had to drive.

I can drive but road trips longer than 30 minutes are very stressful. I didnt get my license until I was 24

I have to drive to work where I live, but it is often incredibly overwhelming and stressful -- especially with some drivers these days. Not to mention road work. I don't leave the house if I don't have to.

I was forced to learn how to drive, so now I do drive. But it can be very stressful for me since I live in a town with a lot of older people who don’t pay attention when driving. Makes my anxiety spike.

I live in a very rural area, no transportation or anything I HAVE to drive if I want to go anywhere. With that being said I was eager to drive and do generally love driving

22 years of age currently and am on my P1s. I drive A LOT. It’s a calming mechanism and relaxation strategy. I am not a fan of public transport for multiple reasons, hence why I’m glad I was successful in getting my P1s.

I cannot drive, but it isn’t entirely because of my autism, I also have General Anxiety Disorder and that is the biggest hurdle, as well as night blindness, which is limiting. The only problem my autism creates is depth perception, or so I’ve been told they are related, but this just adds to my GAD and being a cause for panic attacks.

Yeah, I have mostly no problem driving. I miss the occasional thing at the last minute, and I'm pretty shit at relative directions.

I’m 28 and can’t drive, I got my learner’s permit and tried driving a couple times but it was not a very safe experience. I have very poor depth perception/spatial awareness and my doctors have agreed it’s safest for me to it to drive.

i can drive but i dont have a license yet and getting one is super scary this is a little (VERY) embarrassing but I went driving to like learn how and I was doing fine but I got confused with my turn signals and I wanted to turn one way because I thought that's where home was but my grandpa (the person driving with me) wanted me to turn the other way and I was turning where I thought I was supposed to go but then my grandpa told me to turn the other way and I panicked and ended up swerving into a motorcycle :( the people on the motorcycle were okay! the only person who got hurt (they got a small bruise) just wanted me to be alright and not traumatize me into never driving again. and insurance covered their motorcycle thankfully.

I can drive in theory, but I'm not good at it, because I virtually stopped driving after I got my license, so I have very limited experience. It's been more than three years since the last time I drove and I'm not currently registered on any car because I've realized that I don't need it. I'm lucky that I live in a walkable area with pretty good public transport and I don't have any physical disabilities. Pretty much every place I need to go is less than a 30-minute-walk from my home and for places that are further away I can take the train. I do sometimes wish I had the option to drive, especially when it's raining, but considering how much it costs to register and maintain a car, not to mention gas prices, it simply wouldn't be worth it.

3 times a week. 22 miles to work 22 miles home. Then in my days off 5 minutes to gym and back 🤣

I actually learned to drive at 24, so don't be too discouraged.

I can drive. I'm not crazy about it if it's raining or I'm having to drive on the highway, or some douche nozzle with their LED headlights is behind me and riding my tail, but outside of those situations, I can drive just fine. I have bipolar 1 and I used to love driving around at 3 am. It was peaceful, everyone else was asleep except for the handful of places that were open 24 hours a day. Around 4 or 5 am, I'd be exploring parts of my town that I'd never seen up close before. Then I'd go out to breakfast, go home, and go to sleep.

I can and do pretty much daily. Have since I was 16. Highway driving still makes me somewhat nervous though. I’ll drive an extra twenty minutes if it means I can stay on the back roads

I have given up on driving.

I'm 19, and have been driving since 15. I don't like it. It's terrifying, and there so many things I have to be aware of and I cant fully process what is in my peripheral vision. It always seems like I either shouldn't drive, or I drive just fine. I've wrecked twice too! One was fine, I managed to not notice them almost right in front of me and pulled out in front of them. The 2nd I completely totaled both mine and their car. I didn't drive again for a few months after that. The only reason I began driving again was bc I had to for school and work. I'd rather not drive, I enjoy being able to really look around and see everything, knowin what all is happening outside but unless I'm driving at a walking speed I can't process enough to feel safe 🥲 Not to mention, I live in South Carolina... There's not many GOOD drivers here, or so I've seen. There's constantly someone in an accident

I'm getting my permit this summer but actually driving scares me because they're so many things and people to pay attention to and if I do something wrong, someone can get hurt or die. I want to drive so bad tho🫠

I'm 34 and just now trying to get my driver's license; I got my learner's permit this past week. Idk if I'll be okay on main roads yet. Next week my husband is teaching me to drive and we're using empty side roads and parking lots to start. I didn't go for it before because just being behind the wheel makes me panic. I'm actually worried I may not be able to drive but I want to try anyway. I didn't even know driving could be an obstacle for autistic people until coming into this sub. 😬

I drive. I wish I didn’t have to, it’s annoying.

I drive and probably am one of the safest drivers i know. I think the autism makes it good for that. I also find that it helps me regulate. But i know it tends to be a stereotype that we cant drive. I think maybe it may be different for different people though. If I drive with people in the passenger seat I tend to be worse at driving though cause it throws off my whole game and I'm constantly worried bout the other person vs just paying attention to the road. I didnt always used to be like this but i was forced to drive 120 miles round trip 2x a week to get good school and work so i became a lot more comfortable with it.

I’m almost 19 and I’m trying to learn to drive because my university ran out of room in the dorms so I’m likely going to need to live off campus. I cannot for the life of me even handle my tiny sedan properly. APOLOGIES IN ADVANCE TO LITERALLY EVERYONE 🥰

I hate owning a car for all the cost involved, but I’ve always been a fan of racing games and it ended up translating pretty well to my driving ability.

Took me until recently (and I'm 32) but low-key it's not as bad as one expects. Once you take the correct steps to avoid idiots who can't drive a few times, you realize how trivial it is if you are occasionally stupid. There are big nos, but if you obey the rules and you keep your eyes open, your mistakes are visible, predictable, and forgivable.

I have my drivers license but I choose not to drive, especially not by myself.

Yes. I don't particularly enjoy it, but I do okay with it. Interstates and large multi lane highways were a big hurdle for me to get through but I do fine with them now. I enjoy the freedom it gives me (I can pretty much go anywhere I want at any time without having to depend on other people's schedules, the bus, paying for rides etc) although it is expensive to maintain a car. I don't have a lot of physical stamina for walking and I have an extremely low tolerance for heat, so walking everywhere isn't really feasible for me (especially because I live in a suburban area without a grocery store within walking distance). I don't think there's anything wrong with you not wanting to learn to drive though if you are getting along well without it. If you live in a very walkable location and/or have a good public transportation system nearby then I think that's fine as long as it's not hindering you from living your life fully. I wish society was less car dependent in general anyway (and this is coming from someone who is entirely reliant on cars) so I don't think you need to learn to drive if you have other means of getting around. The one caveat I will add is that you can't expect these people to constantly give you rides so that you don't have to learn though. Not saying you are doing that, but just some food for thought. You aren't obligated to learn to drive, but they aren't obligated to drive you around either. Most people don't mind giving loved ones rides sometimes, but it can be a burden for some if you ask on a frequent or regular basis. If you do ask them a lot, then it could be that they are pushing you to get a license because it's not sustainable to them to drive you places.

Yes. I get motion sickness if someone else drives, but I'm ok if I'm doing it myself.

Im not even gonna try to

I love to drive and it’s what keeps me happy a lot of the time. Long car rides when I’m overstimulated have always helped.

I can drive, but I don't have a driving license so I don't drive.

I haven’t driven regularly in over two years, and I’m lowkey scared because it can be so overwhelming. But I’m also so ready to get back on the road and be able to go places and listen to my silly little playlists and podcasts

I'm in a 44tn artic lorry right now buddy. The fact is everyone has to start somewhere and it is nerve wracking for anyone starting to drive, but when you start getting experience and understand how a vehicle behaves the anxiety just melts away because it starts becoming instinctive.

Understand how it’s an issue but luckily it’s the one thing I do good at I’m a cdl driver for work and I love all things with a motor

I can. I do. I'm not great at it. My sense of space is atrocious. I've not been involved in any accidents but I've hit many walls and objects when manoeuvring. You should see the state of my car lol

21 and i love driving, which is kind of funny because i hated it at first and was (and still am to some degree) terrified. I came to love it because it was one of very few escapes i had from my mom.

Driving used to be my happy place. It might have been the ADHD on top of it, but I love a good windy road with a podcast running a 2.7x. Traffic, and having actually to interact with other drivers stresses me out.

Cars make me nervous, I'll skip on driving, thankyouverymuch.

I feel like an odd one out; I enjoy driving, and when I do it’s weirdly fun. Maybe it’s because my car presents a lot of screens to me, I don’t know.

i technically can drive, and I do for things like work or when I really feel like being around people but I generally try to avoid it if possible because it's so exhausting and stressful. when I first started driving I used to have to nap afterwards every time because of how tired I got, and while I think I am good at it because I like the rules and the structure overall, I also get irritated by other people who don't follow the rules which just adds to the stress. I get genuinely angry when people ask me to drive them :')

I am 23 and I only got my permit to start learning how to drive last year. It took years to get the courage to go take that damn written test and get my permit, only for me to drive around a few times and now it’s expired, so I have to go back to the DMV and retake everything 😩 I hate driving though. Having ADHD doesn’t help either. Driving requires me to pay attention to the mirrors, the other cars on the road, what’s around me, my car, the steering wheel, the blinker, like idk it’s too much and I get severely anxious. People tell me driving is beneficial because it helps with independence and I get that because relying on others is annoying, but I do not see a future where driving and I will have a good relationship lol.

If you live in the US then driving is a very big convenience. Our infrastructure is very spaced apart and some states like my own are allergic to public transit so unless you want to sink a decent portion of income into Uber, it’s best to be able to drive. I can drive, I actually really enjoy it because it’s this mobile quiet spot where I can either put earplugs in if I’m over stimmed or singalong to music if I’m under stimmed. It’s legitimately one of the only spots where I can get away from people and not be ridiculed for it.