Sorry in advance for the wall of text! Some background…
Enter me, someone who usually gets around by bicycle or public transport. I’m about 200 miles away from anyone close (besides my partner) and the trains, while fast and convenient, are expensive and quite limited at some times of the day.
So, as a solution, I decided I’ll pick up some driving lessons so I can drive to friends with a rental or my own vehicle, on much more flexible terms. Since I had some existing experience in various driving simulators (almost 200h combined), I decided why not?
Now, about the lesson.
The instructor was absolutely amazing, got me up to speed with all kinds of things I wasn’t familiar with, like adjusting the mirrors, wheel and stuff.
The car is a stick shift/manual, as that’s the norm here. To be honest, changing gears was the easiest part - it felt really familiar because of the simulators. However I really struggled with how much information you need to take in from around you during the actual driving, literally had to try so hard to not make my mind wander for even a second, because I’d lose track of the environment and stuff. It was dark too so that made things a little challenging.
I’d say a major stress point too is the fact that i’m operating a 2000kg SUV, not an agile 20kg bicycle.
On one hand I’m hoping things improve with time, on the other I really wish we had good, affordable public transport to begin with.
What are your thoughts?
ADHD here driving for about 5 years
As others have already been popping in here a tip that works great for me (and actually I’d give to anyone driving) is I like to drive with a better safe than sorry mentality and over all drive cautiously
Making an unprotected left turn for example, I’m sitting at the light waiting for the on coming car to pass I’ll wait if I have any doubt i won’t make it. I’m probably going think “am i really sitting here I could have totally made that turn” but it’s better than the alternative of getting hit
A more adhd focused tip that personally I don’t like it because I find it distracting but my GF is diagnosed with adhd (she thinks it’s autism) listens to a play list to help her focus
Personally I couldn’t do a radio or playlist cus I’d be too distracted by trying to find a perfect song or something
Now of course you want to be aware of as much as possible when driving but sometimes when I drive I… tune out sint the right word, but id say focus my attention on the immediate surroundings when my brain is bad
Kinda what I mean is I know there’s a car tow lanes over and some guy 3 cars ahead of me, but I can only pay attention the 1 car ahead of me and to my sides an behind
That’s not a perfect description of what I do actually phrasing it like that make it sound dangerous but once I’ve established that “local area” I expand my attention outwards the back to local then expand again so it makes me aware of all that’s going on around me
And like others have said driving is a different and difficult experience when your starting so if you practice and it still feels like you can’t do it then probably carpool or take transit or something
Kinda turned into a word vomit so hopefully there’s something resembling a coherent idea in here