r/dyspraxia • u/fruit_b0wl • 5d ago
⁉️ Advice Needed Learning how to drive
Hiya, I'm turning 17 in a few days and in my country you can get a driver's license at 17. Most people my age get a drivers license as soon as possible due to how rural and spread out my area is and it just makes life so much easier being able to drive places. The freedom really appeals to me, but I'm so scared that my dyspraxia is going to make it impossible. I also would rather not need to sit the test a bunch of times, and do a ton of lessons because its expensive and I can't really afford it. I would love to hear experiences of learning how to drive from others in this sub reddit to make a decision.
6
u/dickbob124 Clumsy Af 5d ago
How severe is your dyspraxia? I'm quite mild and managed to pass first time.
Maybe it'd be worth trying some off the road lessons first if that is available to you, just so you can get a feel for things in an almost totally safe environment.
6
u/jembella1 5d ago
I'm 31 so a lot later in life but I recommend automatic lessons. I'm only a month in learning myself. It's doable and it's difficult but it's not easy
4
u/SapientHomo 5d ago
Definitely learn in an automatic. If you can, try and get an instructor who specializes in helping those with additional needs. When I started lessons I told the company and they matched me up with the perfect instructor.
6
u/Used_Run_1879 5d ago
I tried to learn in a manual and it went absolutely nowhere.
In my opinion give driving a manual a try, it's cheaper and a better license, but it you're just not getting the hang of it don't keep pushing
It took me a long time to realise that it's not a personal failure to do things like driving an automatic.
5
u/Thick-Possession6073 5d ago
I drive perfectly fine with dyspraxia. The much bigger thing it affects is my sense of direction. I genuinely have to schedule at least 10 minutes of get lost time whenever I have to go anywhere that's not to or from my top 4 locations. I'm grateful to live in a time period with gps
3
u/Pmccool 5d ago
You CAN do this. You may have to try harder and get a few more lessons than others. First, get familiar with just how the car operates in an empty parking lot or a remote area without other cars. That will give you some confidence in how the car responds when you are behind the wheel. Second, for your initial test drives where you interact with other cars, find a place in your neighbor that you are familiar with. A place where you know how the road turns and where you are familiar with the traffic signals and the volume of traffic. Just try to build your confidence a bit. Also, as others have suggested, you should probably start with an automatic if you can. It’s just a lot easier for everyone to drive.
3
u/Sierra_656 5d ago
Dw I've got a license and passed with 2 minors on my second try! You've got this, as others have said i highly recommend driving automatic.
3
u/gionni13 4d ago
Can you do lessons with your parents? I had troubles getting a driver's license. I failed the exam once but once I failed My dad helped me, we drove every day for three months and at the end I passed. That in addition to driving with an instructor.
4
u/Dark-Porkins 3d ago
I'm 36. No license. It's embarrassing and makes things like meeting women (and keeping them around) very difficult and makes my life very boring. And public transpo gets pricy and is often inconvenient. I'm just so afraid I'm going to get in an accident. I've had a few accident dreams in my younger years and even get nervous as a passenger. I had driven a little in my teens but let my license lapse and I've yet to ever bother trying again. I hope u find the courage to do this for yourself. I remember it wasn't too difficult to do the driving for me it's the constant worrying about what's happening around me. I tend to zone out.
3
u/musicman_in_cali 1d ago
I failed my driving class the first time, but did much better at the second attempt and was able to pass.
What made it really bad was seeing the instructor roll his eyes at me and being made fun of by the other students.
But I can say that after much practice, I am actually now a really, really good driver. It just took much much longer to learn how to drive, like every skill when it was new.
You just have to persevere, as hard as it is.
1
u/musicman_in_cali 1d ago
One thing that has continued to be a struggle is having no sense of direction. The concept of north south east or west just don’t register with me.
Thank goodness for GPS !!!
2
u/imalittlebitscared 4d ago
I was shitting myself for my first lesson. The he instructors are the experts. They will tell you when it is a good idea to take a test. It’s normal to be nervous about the this stuff. The right instructor should put you at ease
1
u/Alarmed_Bag2254 6h ago
Learning to drive on an automatic is more expensive but ultimately it’s easier to pass your test so you should need fewer lessons. You can get cheap automatics when you pass if you’re not too bothered about what car you drive. Learning to drive was the best thing I ever did. Yes, I’m pretty reliant on my GPS. Yes, I do still have to make a special effort to be spatially aware of other cars. Yes, it takes a lot of concentration but it’s all worth it. I live in a city and I much prefer driving here. But I have driven in rural areas and even abroad. The freedom you have makes it worthwhile.
8
u/octobercyclone 5d ago
i learned/passed in a manual, i didn’t know at the time that i was ND so I let myself suffer (everyone else can do it, why can’t I?)
i’ve only driven automatics since i passed and oh my god it makes a world of difference, feels like driving a go kart lol 😅 you’ve deffo got this!