As a young person my driving was … erratic. I can remember driving too fast a lot of the time, making last minute decisions, taking wrong turns and getting distracted. People with ADHD often find driving challenging even if they enjoy it. Difficulties include driving while running late, frustration, sensory overload, smart phone temptations and long boring journeys which lead to tiredness and loss of focus. These can result in risky practices and dangerous situations. (I like this blog post from Shamieh Law in the USA about ADHD and driving.)
When I had a family my driving began to change. I started to allow a lot of extra time to get to my destination, sometimes with hours to spare for a long journey. Some people are always late and some are always super early – being early can take the stress out of a situation even if you have a couple of hours to kill at the other end. Being very early for things has become a habit for me over time and it has really helped my driving. It also keeps my frustration levels lower when I’m following slow drivers on country roads.
Sensory overload can be hard to deal with for any driver. There is a lot to remember, and while quick reactions are vital in an emergency, it’s best to remain calm and measured most of the time. It’s easy to panic or get frustrated if you take a wrong turn, or the road layout is complicated and the traffic is heavy, or other drivers do unexpected things. It helps to remind myself that if I take a wrong turn it’s not the end of the world and I can always find somewhere to turn around and go back.
Phones are a blessing and a curse. I never go anywhere without Google sat nav, even on journeys I know well because the live traffic updates can save time and help me avoid jams. If you are able to connect your phone to your car’s sound system, you can take calls and hear messages as well as playing your music. But not everyone has the luxury of hands free technology, and the temptation to take calls and look at messages is hard to resist. For a long time I had my phone in a mount on the windscreen which was better than nothing.
Driving long distances can be boring and tiring. The obvious answer is to take plenty of breaks, which takes us back to allowing a lot of extra time. Service stations, coffee shops and even supermarkets can break up the journey and relieve the boredom. Supermarkets are great because they have free parking and loos, and it’s cheaper for food and drinks. Many drivers don’t like to stop – they just want to get there. But taking breaks can be good for you and your passengers!
If I were to recommend just one change, it would be to allow a lot more time for a journey – which helps in many ways. You feel less stressed. If you go wrong you have time to go back. If there is a barrier you can take a detour. You can stop for a rest as many time as you like. When you arrive you have time to relax. This is a metaphor for life.
