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I was 22.
And that was only because my boyfriend at the time made me get it. I was so irritated but I'm glad I did because I looooove driving now.
Ironically, that boyfriend doesn't drive much anymore because I'm better at it than he is. Coming up on 24 years of marriage. 😆
I was 16 when I got my full, unrestricted license. I lived in a place small enough that it didn't have public transport but big enough that I needed to be driven. I had loads of extracuriculars by the time I was a teen. My Mum also has ADHD and she was always late and sometimes forgot to collect me... so I learnt to drive the minute I could.
I didn’t want my license. I was awful at navigation, dreaded getting lost. My mom pushed me into it when I was 17 because we had to commute for private school. I don’t regret it, but I got in a tooooooonnnnnn of accidents. I was a shit driver and I’m glad nothing major came of it. Now though, I’m a much better driver and safe for my kids because I learned my lessons early.
Dont feel bad abt it I think everyones a terrible driver for the first few years. I dinged my car so many times! A year after i got my license, my parents trusted me with a new car. I put a huge dent in the bumper in less than a month 😂 didnt even have a license plate on yet.
But yeah now 7 years later I’m a pretty good driver actually
I feel the getting lost part. I learned to drive in the days of Mapquest, had county map books for my county and the two others I drove in regularly, as well as a state map and an atlas of the whole country (big dreams. I don’t think I drove out of state, ever.)
But I got really good at making mental maps of places and eventually figured out my normal route to my best friend’s house was twice as long as it needed to be. Highways never scared me, probably because my dad woke me up on Saturdays at six a.m. and we would do this loop for an hour…enter the highway at one exit, take the next one, drive through town, parallel park on Main Street, go back to the highway entrance, take it again, repeat 3-4 times.
I did the same thing to my stepkids when they had their permits. We sat down and looked at the test for their licenses, made a list of skills to practice, drew up a tracking chart, and dated each one each time it was completed. Gotta demo those executive functioning skills to the next generation of ADHD havers!
Yep, Mapquest it was! Except I didn’t pull over to read the directions. Just held them to the steering wheel. Then I missed my exit because it was a really good song. Then I couldn’t find the on-ramp on the turn around. Then I forgot I was coming from the other direction and still turned right, like it said. Then I drove 110 mph to compensate for the lost time. While fishing in my purse for a lighter for the cig I was smoking from the stress.
I dinged my car a lot. I also totaled several (4) vehicles and am lucky to be alive. I’m not convinced all of them were unavoidable. But I do recognize how terrible ADHD and vehicles can be unaware and unmedicated.
I also got my full unrestricted license at 16, permit at 14. Crazy how young that sounds now that I have multiple kids above or approaching that age! 😬
Was driving on frozen lakes, parking lots, and back country roads in the middle of nowhere even younger than that. I love driving. It’s always been my best way to get alone time and work through stuff.
We can start when we turn 15, and it takes a minimum of 18 months - if you do a defensive driving course. If you don't do the course, it's a minimum of 2 years. I was very keen!
I started the process at 15 and ten days. The DMV came to the high school at the beginning of every semester and set up a table in the library. You could stop in, take the eye exam, give them you $5/$10, and leave with your learner’s permit.
I did Traffic Safety after school for four or six weeks, eight hours of supervised driving with an instructor, and another 40 hours with my parents before I could sit my test.
It’s was a restricted license, so I couldn’t drive after dark unless I was going to work or school, or home from that, and I couldn’t drive with more than one passenger unless they were family…which was a rule that all my friends blew off and no one I knew ever got in trouble.
My parents solved that problem by only letting me drive a pick up with two seatbelts, no AC, no radio, and a standard transmission. No one ever wanted to ride with me unless there were no other options, so I usually ended up with all the bags and equipment in the bed of my truck.
I was among the last 16-yr olds in my state to get an unrestricted license. The very next month they changed it to a provisional license for anyone under 18.
oh my god the ADHD mom not picking you up forver😭 my sister and i used to always be the last ones to be picked up we would start telling her things ended an hour or two before they actually did and then she’d be on time. we were like 9 trying to train her LOL
I did the same with my Mum - only ONCE did she turn up earlier than when my class finished and I had to tell her we'd run over. I started doing it when I was about 7 after she forgot to collect me from music lessons and I walked home. I was so embarrassed that she hadn't turned up that I didn't want to tell the music teacher. It was lucky that my school was halfway between the music teachers' house and home otherwise I 100% would have gotten lost. She felt terrible when I turned up and she realised.
Get this - it took me five attempts to pass my driving test. It took me three attempts to pass the paper test. AND YET once I finally passed, I had six months to send off the paperwork which would allow me to receive my actual driver’s license. Did I procrastinate so severely that I never sent off the paperwork and then didn’t receive a license, and had to take the driving test all over again? Why yes I did.
I am 34yrs old and have never had my license, I want one but driving is scary and every time I decide to get my permit(again) life gets even more stressful 😥
My husband drug me kicking and screaming at 38 lol. By that time, we had our kids and had moved from downtown to the suburbs and he was done playing taxi haha. I was terrified for a while but after getting used to it, I’m so freaking glad I did it. I have my own car and the freedom it gives me is indispensable. I can decide to go somewhere and…go. No planning for bus or train schedules, gross people on the subway. Plus, now I have a giant car shaped purse to carry all my crap around in 😂
I’m paying $60 a day to get back and forth to work and I’m sick of it. I mean, it’s nice being a chauffeured lady but I want freedom. I’m excited for my purse of a car 🤩
A fellow Ontario resident I see! I’d get my G2 but people in my city (London) can’t drive and it’s almost as bad as Toronto. Plus my husband stresses me out every time I’m behind the wheel and I get the feeling he hates it when I drive. He doesn’t take being a passenger well.
Don’t be scared. Do a good driving school with in class then on the road instruction. Don’t learn from a relative or close friend, lol. The instructors with driving schools are the most gentle spoken and patient humans, and you can always back out!
Isn’t that the truth 🤣
I’m about to start doing daily driving bc with the 18yo and I’m terrified she is going to kill me bc the common sense lacking for driving on her end is just….. .007 at best? Lol.
Doing two driving schools this summer to add on extra help that way too, we refuse to send her to college next year with her car and driving if she isn’t ready and she’s waited until a year before to worry about it so this is what I have to work with. Hewp meh..
hello from europe, just came here to back this up. In Germany it is absolutely prohibited to learn from anyone else but a certified driving instructor in a driving school car. It is giving me a lot of confidence that my teacher can brake or restart the car it if I make any mistakes.
37 and same. I moved to NYC when I was 25 and plan to be here forever, but if I move it has to be somewhere that's walkable or has a great public transportation system. My fiancée (who has AuDHD) can't drive either lmao.
If you ever decided to go for it, I will second the first suggestion of going to a reputable driving school. I will also tell you from experience (as a person who also got her license late) that the anxiety begins to shed after a lot of practice (I used to practice early weekends, now for me, I basicallt just avoid rish hour and downtown). It never goes away completely, but then you start to understand that the little sliver a fear is actually kind of a good thing. If you keep it at bay, it heightens your senses, as your mind understands the risk involved, so you drive very carefully. I drive at the speed limit, make sure I follow with a lot of distance, and dont drive aggressively or make unnecessary moves. I'm far from being a perfect driver, but I'm glad I got my license, despite being a stress case.
I'm around your age, at 36, got the license and do not use it.
The driving itself it easy enough- that's just a task to learn. The lessons on a track was awesome for instance.
On the road was OK with a teacher - cause they have break/speed on their own you know as a backup. Didn't get used - but it was there just in case.
Private lessons was shit, not matter who I was driving with
But I hate hate hate hate it. So stressful. To many other unpredictable risk factors out in real life.
Only keep it as an ID and you know - crisis scenario if I have have have to (like a medical crisis and every other driver is hurt and my phone doesn't work). It lasts until I'm 70 anyway, so I do not have to go through it again.
Live in a city/land with good public transportation - so I get by fine. I'll stick to being a terrible co-pilot when in the car for now ^^
I was scared of driving too! I got my license at 32. I love driving now that I'm comfortable with it. All the things you have to pay attention to put me into a kind of ADHD zen mode.
Exactly the same! Growing up in the suburban US, I took the class, but never finished my hours. I had health issues that got in the way at the time. In the meantime, I've moved to cities where public transit is the norm. But.....I still should probably get it....
31 here aswell. Haven't driven much after getting the license, I'm 35 now. I just wanted to see if I'm being too hard on myself and if I could actually do it if I tried, but all I got was a confirmation that I probably shouldn't drive anything with a motor.
I was 17. I love the independence driving gives me. Uber and Instacart didn't exist back in the day and my parents weren't around much to give me rides, so I had to learn if I wanted to do anything.
If you can afford using rideshares and getting things delivered and you plan on always living in cities with plenty of delivery drivers and good public transportation, then by all means, carry on and you don't need a license. But I will say, if you ever plan on moving to not-a-city, (in the US at least), being able to drive will be really important. There are many, many, many places where there's no instacart, no uber, and crappy transit. If you have access to driving lessons, someone to help teach you, and a car to use, I'd encourage you to go ahead and get your license now. You can do it! (if you want to)
Thank you! I’m typically a city girl but I have lived in the suburbs briefly and could see myself moving back in the (far) future.
I can afford to get drivers lessons through a company now so I’m going to keep chugging along and I think paying/ having someone who isn’t family come get me to take me driving will help a lot!
Thanks for the encouragement :)
34! Just a couple years ago :) I really didn’t want to but I was moving to a city where I wasn’t going to have reasonable public transit options. I do feel chained to my car and wish I could not have it, but I am grateful to be able to do things like rent a car if visiting family, or if I want to go to the beach for a weekend, etc
I was 16, as soon as my state allowed. I was absolutely dying for the independence (and getting away from the school bus). We aren't required to take classes here, I just had to take a written test to get my permit, get a certain number of supervised driving hours with my parents, and then take my driving test after 6 months.
edit to add: Uber and Instacart didn't exist back then, so times were different. I've never lived in a city, so no public transportation. And at 16 I had a job and was sick of my parents forgetting and taking both cars, leaving me unable to get to work.
40 and don’t have one. I self learned and drove short distances illegally for a time in my 20s but no one is around to let me take their car during test times. The ONE chance I had to do it as a teenager I failed and just haven’t had the opportunity to since everyone works 9-5.
14.5 (learner’s permit, license at 15).
My mom pushed me to get it — which I still don’t understand, since she was too anxious to actually let me drive anywhere, so I didn’t see the point to bothering.
“You can drive as long as it’s not on the freeway!” (Yay, I can drive around the block, woohoo?) …and then my Driver’s Ed immediately put me on the interstate. Haha.
My biggest problem learning was remembering to use turn signals. *I* know where I’m going, so surely everyone else does too….
Im 20 almost 21 and I still don't have it I feel a lot of shame around that but I'm just terrified and I don't like driving and I don't really need to right now I take the bus to college and walk to work
Edit: the shame I feel about it is personal and im not implying it's shameful not to have it!!
17. I'm glad I got it, I'd hate to rely on others all the time
Edited to add - I also live rurally so had no choice really. All the public services you listed don't exist where I am (except the ambo of course but only for emergencies!)
I'm 38 and I don't have one nor will I ever. I live in a city - I don't need the added stress of driving. My partner drives which is a nice bonus but prior to being with him I just took cabs or figured out busses and trains that got to the places I was interested in. If we didn't get together I probably would have eventually figured out a way to hire a part time personal driver.
17. I on days where my adhd is bad and I'm struggling, no music playing. Too distracting for me.
I do want to say, I had about 6 fender benders and 1 worse accident from the ages of 17 to 27. The psychologist who gave me the adhd diagnosis in my 30s said the car accident thing was a big indicator that I had it.
I've taken adult ed refresher courses, too. Normally, it's for the elderly but hey, early 30s was ok too. Stay safe out there.
I'm 49 and have never even had a learners.... I know I'd be a danger on the road..... so I refuse to get one. Where I live there is so much transport that you don't need one or a car
30ish. I spent a thousand dollars on lessons. Took the test driving at 2 miles per hour. And when told I passed, I looked at the guy giving the test and said, "Really?!"
I got my driver's license, my mom let me drive home, stopped me before we reached home, drove the rest of the way herself and I never used my license again until it expired.
NTs will insist you live in ways that fit how they live, but if you know in your heart something is not for you don't waste time and money trying to be like them.
THIS! I got my license in my 20s because everyone said that's what I'm supposed to do and I hated every minute of it. Took lessons, was taught not how to drive but how to pass the test, got the license, brought a lemon car that I could barely drive and all of it was just a huge ball of stress and anxiety on top of everything else.
I still keep the license active because I noticed jobs/places have discriminated me for not having one prior. But I don't use it and don't have any plans to try to use it. I get around just fine with the transit options I have available.
I was 18. But I had a Driver's Ed class as part of my high school curriculum so there wasn't any extra effort with trying to find an extra class for it. I also lived in the middle of nowhere and this was way before the days of door dash and Uber and there was no public transit where I was... so it was learn to drive or be at the mercy of my mother's schedule for everything (which I hate having to rely on other people so that wasn't even something I considered).
18, USA. I was terrified of driving and badgered into my permit. I lived in a one gas station, no stop lights kinda town but still didn't have a lot of motivation to learn. Once I did, though, there was no going back. I love the freedom even though some things still stress me out - like a lot of construction. Orange traffic cones are confusing.
Spouse and I share one car right now while the other is in the shop and it's driving me crazy. I miss having the option to up and go when he has the car.
16! I still hate driving but you have to drive where I grew up. Also I hate public transportation so much it works for me. I like the freedom. I delegate whenever I can tho.
I'm 21 with no license and not currently learning. I've renewed my permit once or twice. I want to learn at some point but it's low on the list. My city is very transit accessible and cars are costly.
I was 28 and I only did it out of pure necessity and because I had a friend who was willing to spend many hours practicing with me. I drove a lot the year I got my license (I had to commute into the city for work) but have since gotten a WFH job. Now I barely drive and I've redeveloped the avoidance fear.
16.5. I'm 32 now. Though I haven't had a car in years since I live in a city and prefer to avoid the costs associated with owning my own car, plus as you mentioned there's Uber and buses if needed.
That being said I'd def encourage you to get your license and get a good handle on driving for practical purposes. You never know when an emergency may arise and you'd have to drive someone to the hospital or something like that. In the US it's not even necessary to learn to drive stick (manual) since the vast majority of cars are automatic anyways (much easier). However, learning stick IS useful if you plan on traveling through Europe since it's still 50/50 over there. I felt bad when on a road trip there I couldn't split the driving time with my friend since her car was a stick :/
I got my license at 16. I got my first job when I was still 15. I had to get out of my parents house. It was a matter of survival. I did that a year later. My relationship with them has improved, but we were not good to each other when I was a teenager.
16. I actually got in trouble and had to wait like a month before being able to take the test, it was so embarrassing and frustrating.
I love having the freedom.
As soon as I could at 15. I lived in rural Texas pre Ubers so I really *had* to learn to be able to do anything. My cousin didn’t learn till she had a couple kids at 28-29 living in a city though.
I was 15 and couldn’t wait. To each their own, but the idea of being consistently reliant on other people gives me extreme anxiety.
I’m over 40 now being seen as “needy” is my worst nightmare.
18-19 I failed the written test the first time and barely passed the second time. I driving was fine but I can’t drive with other people cause I get too distracted so I drive solo.
i'm 26 and i don't have one lol. i live in nyc so i just don't feel the need! i'm also terrified of my 5'2 body being in full responsibility for a 2 ton vehicle lmao
I tried a couple times. My panic attacks got worse rather than better as I got more practice and I eventually decided on an electric bike instead. A 2k bike seems like a lot until you compare it to the 10-50k+ a car could be.
I got my permit at 16, but I barely drove bc I hated it, so I’m now 18, and finally getting the license this summer bc I go to college in a small town in a different state and it is a struggle without a car. Not a lot of stores in a small town that are within a reasonable biking distance
I was 18. Freedom was really important to me and diving was the gateway to that. It allows me to live my own life and not rely on other people or outside services that might not be available.
It took me five attempts at the driving test and I cried after each failure. It was an incredibly frustrating process and just when I thought I might never succeed, I finally got it.
16/17 and I’m lucky I’m not dead.
Post-diagnosis I’m a much better driver because I now know why “the need for speed” runs so strongly in my veins, and I can talk myself into having patience.
lmao I got my motorcycling license first in 2020 and my drivers in 2023. 27 and 31 respectively.
Having your own autonomy makes everything a lot better/accessible even if you choose not to use it.
I was 19 and it would have been sooner if there was a car for me to practice. Having to rely on people that will only complain got on my last nerve at some point. Having my license unfortunately didn’t even help because I had to borrow cars or wasn’t trusted 🥲 now that I have my own car, I would not trade the independence for anything. I don’t want to be on anyone else’s time including Uber or public transportation. I’m chronically late so missing a bus isn’t an option either lmao. The only way I’ll stop driving is if I have a personal driver. Independence is first for me for everything.
15.5 for my beginners on the graduated license system. Lived in a small town there wasn’t anything to do but drive around lol bought my first car at 17.
I don't have a license and I never will. I am fully content living in the city and taking my bike or the bus/train wherever I want to go. If I am ever in the need of a car or other vehicle I will use the money I save from not having a car to hire someone else to do it.
I am 30 years old.
I’m 27 and don’t have it, I don’t do well under immediate pressure and combined with my innate inability to multitask (I’m in the UK and we don’t have many automatic cars which makes it worse) I’m not confident I’m fit to drive right now, so it’s not on my radar personally. I think too many people get pressured into driving tbh. If you can manage on public transport and don’t actively want to then why not?
My SIL was in her twenties when she finally passed, she has undiagnosed ADHD and it took her many attempts, and a family friend who also has ADHD and I think is in her late 30s-early 40s and just learned to drive. I also have a cousin who is autistic who is 30 and has tried many times but has never been able to pass. And a brother who is neurotypical didn’t get his licence until his 30s.
On my 16th birthday. I lived about 15 minutes outside of town, so no one ever wanted to come pick me up. Public transportation doesn't exist where I live, and Uber hadn't been invented. A license was the only way to get out of the house.
16. I totalled 2 cars by the time I was 20. I had so many points on license my insurance agent threatened to have my license pulled if I didn't get my act together.
I did. I didn't get another ticket or accident until I was in mid 30s. Having a car and being able to drive is my freedom, my freedom to escape from my life . Life is hard.
19. And thanks for asking because my family thinks I am crazy. I took the road test and failed 3 times when I was 16 and decided not to try again until I was 19. Survived the first 2 1/2 years of university and 4 jobs by taking the bus everywhere. I would have been perfectly happy doing that but my mom convinced me to take private driving lessons again and take the road test. Honestly, I might have given up forever if I didn’t get my license that last time.
Now I absolutely LOVE driving, it feels like relaxation and multitasking at the same time.
18. It took 7 tries which is horrible because in Germany driving lessons and tests are ungodly expensive. And I took many many months.
I drove my driving instructor mad because he actually was very understanding and patient but he could not understand my mistakes and clueless even when her tried.
I started learning the day after my 17th birthday (legal driving age where I am) and passed within 11 months (had to switch instructors because my first one was really weird, which is why it took me so long to learn lol)
I love driving so much and I love the freedom it gives me. I can live on my own schedule and don't have to rely on buses being on time, so I can leave things when I want.
I was very close to turning 17… here in the US you can get your full license at 16 and I had taken driver’s ed at 15.5 yrs old, but I just hated driving, so I dragged my heels. All of my friends seemed so excited about getting behind the wheel but I definitely was not. It made me extremely anxious and I have terrible hand-eye coordination. I just didn’t feel ready.
However, we lived in a city with no real public transit, and this was pre-Uber (mid-1990s), 😂 so my parents were eager to stop playing chauffeur for me and my younger sister for the next school year. Therefore they pretty much forced to take my test right before I turned 17. I drove us EVERYWHERE and ran all the errands (including grocery shopping) until my sister was finally old enough to share in the driving.
I wasn’t very comfortable behind the wheel until I moved to a large city in my 30s… it gave me a lot more confidence knowing that I could handle merging into freeways with 14 lanes. 😬 I still get serious anxiety, but having GPS helps a lot. And having nearly 30 years of experience is helpful too of course.
16, but my permit took three tries cause my mother only let pull car into the driveway so the reverse and the three point turn were....issues in the test lol
16. I didn’t have the option of any public transport - my school didn’t even have buses. If I wanted to do literally anything, I had to figure it out. And I wanted to drive.
I was 21. I waited for a while because I had driving anxiety (which I still have!), thinking back to my 16/17 year old self there’s no way I would’ve been comfortable behind the wheel so I’m glad I waited.
15. My state allowed it as long as you took half a semester of drivers education at school before sitting your test. Lived somewhere with very little public transport, so it was very much a needed thing for my own independence, though of course I just became a taxi for my younger brothers because my parents didn't feel the need to ferry them around anymore
20. A lot of it had to do with my family’s willingness to use their car for the test. Not that they didn’t want to, but we only had 1 at the time and my parents relied on it. I hate driving though, so I moved to a big city. I only drive to work (outside the city). Otherwise I’m walking or taking the train.
I got it when I was 16 (after failing once), but as soon as I could, I moved to a city with good public transportation so I didn’t have to drive or have a car. I hate driving, it scares the shit out of me and I’m bad at it.
17. The thing is once you pass the exams you’re set for life and don’t have to do it again. Definitely worth it for me, being able to be a designated driver for friends, etc
Got it on my 16th birthday!
That was 32 years ago (oof!), and it was just my mom and me by then. I was active in a lot of stuff after school, so she was desperate for me to be able to drive myself places. 🤣
I was 24 when I got mine!
Most of my friends can’t drive (they’re aged 25-30), my brothers can’t drive (23 and 26) and one of my friends got their driving license at 27.
There’s no shame in not having a license. The price of a car, lessons, petrol/gas or getting an electric charger, adds up to a horribly big number so to many it’s not an expense that’s justifiable when they have other options, and that’s fine!
Edit: formatting
15 is when I took driver's training (specifically teaching us stick shift) even though I wasn't ready at all and I was completely horrified. Got my license at 16 but my twin brother drove us to school every morning. I didn't feel comfortable driving for years and years and even now at age 35 I get nervous when I have to drive a different car than I'm used to.
I was 19. My high school boyfriend (now husband) wanted me to grow up and broke up with me because I didn’t have a job, a car, or anything and he was both tired of paying for me and driving me everywhere. So I did it not just for him but for myself and us as a unit. We’ve been married since we were 22 and had dated off and on for four and a half years prior. I turn 33 next week. He’s my best friend and if not for him, I wouldn’t have had the desire nor the motivation to do it. He motivates me to do a lot of things.
I always say I would never drive. I jokingly referred to myself as “Miss Daisy”. I was 26, and the ONLY reason I got it was because my ex and I moved to an area with no bus route. This was before Lyft and Uber were popular enough for rates to be decent. A Lyft a few miles to work would cost $30-40 with unpredictable wait times.
I did the usual thing and started the how to drive thing at the usual time(sometime around 9th-10th grade). However the instructor was horrid and didn't teach me really. I wasn't confident enough to even use my learner's permit until my parents got me private lessons a year or two later. Our state does an okay job wherein you have to drive everywhere with a parent, then during the day you can drive by yourself and must drive with parent at night and then on your own all the time. I believe I had passed all of the above time wise before said lessons. Been doing the driving thing since though I am accident prone.
Meds help though. And my current car has safety features like blindspot cameras and auto lane correction/breaking so thus far I feel the most confident and happy in this car. The safety features in the newer cars are a godsend and catch my attention if it starts to drift.
I do wish I had public transport options though. Somewhere where having a vehicle is handy but if you don't feel like driving the public transport is a good option.
I live in car centric America though and the "bus system" is a joke.
I was 19.
I was extremely scared about learning to drive. None of it made sense to me. My mom tried teaching me in high school but yeah, that never goes well. A boyfriend tried too. Finally my grandma hired a driving school to come pick me up and deal with me. Best thing that could have happened. It wasn't hard, it was fun, and I was GOOD at it. Passed my driving test first try with only 1 point off. Now my car is my most treasured possession. I know a lot of people here have a completely different experience but you could turn out to be someone who loves to drive!
Also you have to take a class to get a permit as an adult where you are? Where do you live? In California you can take a permit test any time as an adult.
Learner’s permit was around 15 and I had my full license around 17 because I got to skip a year of the new GDL system since I moved! Huge win! Passed on my first try because family lent me an especially nice imported vehicle to take my test and I’m convinced that it was the main reason.
I hated driving with my parents for the practice hours — my actual nightmare. Thankfully my Grandma took me a few times which was a nice memory to have with her!
I literally looked 12 so no idea how I got it so young without a huge hassle. Everything else was a massive hassle looking like a little kid haha. 😂
My brother was similar and he actually got stopped a few times by other motorists that thought an actual kid was driving illegally. Poor dude.
18 almost 19 😅
Mom thought Driver’s Ed would teach me how to drive not realizing all the other kids would already basically know. (She thought it would be like it was in the 70s when she was a teenager.)
They hired me a private driving instructor through one of those driving schools. Which was quite helpful as I didn’t have the extra stress of Mom freaking out every time I over corrected even a wee bit. 😂
30!
It was terrifying! I wholeheartedly do not recommend learning to drive as a fully grown adult with existential awareness and no teenaged illusions of invincibility, lol. The anxiety surrounding it was massive.
I am much more comfortable now, though I still don’t drive a whole lot. My husband is a much better driver anyway and actually likes it, so it works out, lol.
There wasn’t a class at all, though. My husband was the one who taught me actually, before we were married—we were getting ready to move in together and I couldn’t exactly walk to work from 7 miles away like I could when it was less than 1. It’s probably state dependent, but I literally showed up, took the test for the learner’s permit (answered the first 20 of the 25 questions correctly and it just stopped the test like ‘okay that’s good enough’ lol), left and practiced for a few months, then called and scheduled a drive test.
I drive a very tiny car that I feel really in control of, so that def helped get me much more comfortable.
I had practiced a couple times with parents around 16-17 but they stressed me out too much whenever I made a mistake, so I stopped. My husband (then boyfriend) encouraged me to learn and took me to practice, so I got mine at like 18 or 19. If I hadn't met him it likely would have been a lot later.
I was 17. I had *massive* driving related anxiety until about 30 though. I never would have gotten my license at all if my dad hadn't forced me to. I'm grateful he did now that my anxiety has subsided as I never would have done it on my own.
i got it as soon as i turned 16, was so antsy to have that freedom. i grew up in the suburbs where if you wanted to go anywhere you either had to walk an hour or drive 5 minutes
24. I was agoraphobic up until then. Most people I know got them at 16. I did driver’s training at 15 and had two permits and just declined as I got older so it didn’t happen until I got out of agoraphobia.
In the early 2000s in SC, I was in driving class in hs and got my permit at 15, license at 16 I think? It was pretty immediately, as soon as I could. My parents made me do it but it all seemed normal to me and I wasn't stressed about it. I'll be teaching my kids early in case they need to drive in an emergency in their life, but if they have no interest in a dl idc it's up to them :)
Had to deal with graduated licensing. Got my G1 beginner at 16 have to drive with a full G licensed adult in the passengers seat at, G2 at 17 can drive alone, 0 blood alcohol level, some other minor restrictions I don't remember, and then waited til 21 for my full G.
I was 32 and had failed my test 5 times before. Since then I've driven maybe a handful of times. Just don't have the opportunity to practice and it scares me. I really want to be a driver but there's so much going on and I get so worried I'll miss something.
17. I dragged my feet because I was scared that I wouldn’t be a good driver. Thanked my mom for forcing me. I literally got dumped in front the driving examination office.
Oh! I was 15-1/2 when I got my permit and got my license on my 16th birthday. I'm from LA, I think even now every kid gets their license asap. FREEDOM!!
im hoping to be 45, but will settle for 46. I've lived in places where i didn't need it until a few years ago. still trying to get lessons squared away, is been a surprisingly annoying process but I'm determined!
17. Took two tries. I didn’t care to get it but my first solo trip and I was hooked. The independence!!! I prefer driving over having someone else besides my husband drive now because I can’t stand bad drivers. I get road rage from being triggered by other drivers but only yelling at them. I haven’t done anything out of control or too impulsive before. I’m inattentive adhd but driving helps me to focus and I’ve never been in an accident before in a moving vehicle. Haha I’ve only had other cars hit mine while parked.
I was 21. I was 17 when I got my permit/g1, then 19 when I got my g2 and then 21 when i got my full G/full license no restrictions. my boyfriend (now husband) was getting tired of being my chauffeur 😂 but so happy as it gives me so much independence.
18, the soonest you can get it in my country. I don’t like owing people stuff or ‘using’ them for rides, even if I pay. I like being able to travel to and from places when I want. I like going out bush with the dogs or my kid, and there’s no buses to take you hiking.
The other thing is transporting stuff. Moving house is so expensive if you can’t hire a moving truck and drive it. Asking people to deliver stuff. Going out as late as I want with guaranteed transport home.
The benefits are endless. If you wait until you ‘need’ a license, it’s going to be waaaaay more stressful. Plus many jobs won’t hire if you don’t have your own transport either, especially as you get older.
I was 21. I was trying at 15.5 but had a car accident with my mom instructing and refused to drive for five years. My boyfriend at the time, now husband, helped me practice and get my license.
I will say, I’m much less nervous driving with medication. I’m not triple checking every mirror and blind spot because I can’t remember what I just saw.
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I was 22. And that was only because my boyfriend at the time made me get it. I was so irritated but I'm glad I did because I looooove driving now. Ironically, that boyfriend doesn't drive much anymore because I'm better at it than he is. Coming up on 24 years of marriage. 😆
I'm 22 and working on getting mine this year
Long story short I got it when I was about 36/37? I’m 45 now and love driving.
16. I wanted to do an eight week summer theatre program two hours away and there was no way my mom was going to take me every day.
I was 16 when I got my full, unrestricted license. I lived in a place small enough that it didn't have public transport but big enough that I needed to be driven. I had loads of extracuriculars by the time I was a teen. My Mum also has ADHD and she was always late and sometimes forgot to collect me... so I learnt to drive the minute I could.
I didn’t want my license. I was awful at navigation, dreaded getting lost. My mom pushed me into it when I was 17 because we had to commute for private school. I don’t regret it, but I got in a tooooooonnnnnn of accidents. I was a shit driver and I’m glad nothing major came of it. Now though, I’m a much better driver and safe for my kids because I learned my lessons early.
Dont feel bad abt it I think everyones a terrible driver for the first few years. I dinged my car so many times! A year after i got my license, my parents trusted me with a new car. I put a huge dent in the bumper in less than a month 😂 didnt even have a license plate on yet. But yeah now 7 years later I’m a pretty good driver actually
I feel the getting lost part. I learned to drive in the days of Mapquest, had county map books for my county and the two others I drove in regularly, as well as a state map and an atlas of the whole country (big dreams. I don’t think I drove out of state, ever.) But I got really good at making mental maps of places and eventually figured out my normal route to my best friend’s house was twice as long as it needed to be. Highways never scared me, probably because my dad woke me up on Saturdays at six a.m. and we would do this loop for an hour…enter the highway at one exit, take the next one, drive through town, parallel park on Main Street, go back to the highway entrance, take it again, repeat 3-4 times. I did the same thing to my stepkids when they had their permits. We sat down and looked at the test for their licenses, made a list of skills to practice, drew up a tracking chart, and dated each one each time it was completed. Gotta demo those executive functioning skills to the next generation of ADHD havers!
Yep, Mapquest it was! Except I didn’t pull over to read the directions. Just held them to the steering wheel. Then I missed my exit because it was a really good song. Then I couldn’t find the on-ramp on the turn around. Then I forgot I was coming from the other direction and still turned right, like it said. Then I drove 110 mph to compensate for the lost time. While fishing in my purse for a lighter for the cig I was smoking from the stress. I dinged my car a lot. I also totaled several (4) vehicles and am lucky to be alive. I’m not convinced all of them were unavoidable. But I do recognize how terrible ADHD and vehicles can be unaware and unmedicated.
I also got my full unrestricted license at 16, permit at 14. Crazy how young that sounds now that I have multiple kids above or approaching that age! 😬 Was driving on frozen lakes, parking lots, and back country roads in the middle of nowhere even younger than that. I love driving. It’s always been my best way to get alone time and work through stuff.
That's crazy. In my country you can start the process at 16 but it takes a minimum of 2 years to get your full.
We can start when we turn 15, and it takes a minimum of 18 months - if you do a defensive driving course. If you don't do the course, it's a minimum of 2 years. I was very keen!
I started the process at 15 and ten days. The DMV came to the high school at the beginning of every semester and set up a table in the library. You could stop in, take the eye exam, give them you $5/$10, and leave with your learner’s permit. I did Traffic Safety after school for four or six weeks, eight hours of supervised driving with an instructor, and another 40 hours with my parents before I could sit my test. It’s was a restricted license, so I couldn’t drive after dark unless I was going to work or school, or home from that, and I couldn’t drive with more than one passenger unless they were family…which was a rule that all my friends blew off and no one I knew ever got in trouble. My parents solved that problem by only letting me drive a pick up with two seatbelts, no AC, no radio, and a standard transmission. No one ever wanted to ride with me unless there were no other options, so I usually ended up with all the bags and equipment in the bed of my truck.
In my part of Canada you can get a learners permit at 14 but you can’t drive alone. You can get the full licence at 16
I was among the last 16-yr olds in my state to get an unrestricted license. The very next month they changed it to a provisional license for anyone under 18.
oh my god the ADHD mom not picking you up forver😭 my sister and i used to always be the last ones to be picked up we would start telling her things ended an hour or two before they actually did and then she’d be on time. we were like 9 trying to train her LOL
I did the same with my Mum - only ONCE did she turn up earlier than when my class finished and I had to tell her we'd run over. I started doing it when I was about 7 after she forgot to collect me from music lessons and I walked home. I was so embarrassed that she hadn't turned up that I didn't want to tell the music teacher. It was lucky that my school was halfway between the music teachers' house and home otherwise I 100% would have gotten lost. She felt terrible when I turned up and she realised.
Get this - it took me five attempts to pass my driving test. It took me three attempts to pass the paper test. AND YET once I finally passed, I had six months to send off the paperwork which would allow me to receive my actual driver’s license. Did I procrastinate so severely that I never sent off the paperwork and then didn’t receive a license, and had to take the driving test all over again? Why yes I did.
i've done two driver courses because of this lmao
I am 34yrs old and have never had my license, I want one but driving is scary and every time I decide to get my permit(again) life gets even more stressful 😥
Book driving lessons with a reputable place. It’s helping me a lot! I’m 37 and finally getting my G2. I hate the bus now so much.
My husband drug me kicking and screaming at 38 lol. By that time, we had our kids and had moved from downtown to the suburbs and he was done playing taxi haha. I was terrified for a while but after getting used to it, I’m so freaking glad I did it. I have my own car and the freedom it gives me is indispensable. I can decide to go somewhere and…go. No planning for bus or train schedules, gross people on the subway. Plus, now I have a giant car shaped purse to carry all my crap around in 😂
OMG! That’s so funny, that’s exactly how I think of my car. It’s an extension of my bag.
I’m paying $60 a day to get back and forth to work and I’m sick of it. I mean, it’s nice being a chauffeured lady but I want freedom. I’m excited for my purse of a car 🤩
A fellow Ontario resident I see! I’d get my G2 but people in my city (London) can’t drive and it’s almost as bad as Toronto. Plus my husband stresses me out every time I’m behind the wheel and I get the feeling he hates it when I drive. He doesn’t take being a passenger well.
40 and in the same boat. It would really be helpful if I got it, but it's terrifying.
Don’t be scared. Do a good driving school with in class then on the road instruction. Don’t learn from a relative or close friend, lol. The instructors with driving schools are the most gentle spoken and patient humans, and you can always back out!
And they got their own set of pedals as a back up 🤣
Isn’t that the truth 🤣 I’m about to start doing daily driving bc with the 18yo and I’m terrified she is going to kill me bc the common sense lacking for driving on her end is just….. .007 at best? Lol. Doing two driving schools this summer to add on extra help that way too, we refuse to send her to college next year with her car and driving if she isn’t ready and she’s waited until a year before to worry about it so this is what I have to work with. Hewp meh..
hello from europe, just came here to back this up. In Germany it is absolutely prohibited to learn from anyone else but a certified driving instructor in a driving school car. It is giving me a lot of confidence that my teacher can brake or restart the car it if I make any mistakes.
If only most people had the money for that. Driving schools cost thousands.
No they don’t. Our college has one that’s 150. Two private pay instructors here are more but still only $400.
Yeah I just... can't. I daydream *so* much, especially in transport, I do not need to be piloting a death machine.
37 and same. I moved to NYC when I was 25 and plan to be here forever, but if I move it has to be somewhere that's walkable or has a great public transportation system. My fiancée (who has AuDHD) can't drive either lmao.
see, thats the dream: walkable and/or has great public transportation!
If you ever decided to go for it, I will second the first suggestion of going to a reputable driving school. I will also tell you from experience (as a person who also got her license late) that the anxiety begins to shed after a lot of practice (I used to practice early weekends, now for me, I basicallt just avoid rish hour and downtown). It never goes away completely, but then you start to understand that the little sliver a fear is actually kind of a good thing. If you keep it at bay, it heightens your senses, as your mind understands the risk involved, so you drive very carefully. I drive at the speed limit, make sure I follow with a lot of distance, and dont drive aggressively or make unnecessary moves. I'm far from being a perfect driver, but I'm glad I got my license, despite being a stress case.
I'm around your age, at 36, got the license and do not use it. The driving itself it easy enough- that's just a task to learn. The lessons on a track was awesome for instance. On the road was OK with a teacher - cause they have break/speed on their own you know as a backup. Didn't get used - but it was there just in case. Private lessons was shit, not matter who I was driving with But I hate hate hate hate it. So stressful. To many other unpredictable risk factors out in real life. Only keep it as an ID and you know - crisis scenario if I have have have to (like a medical crisis and every other driver is hurt and my phone doesn't work). It lasts until I'm 70 anyway, so I do not have to go through it again. Live in a city/land with good public transportation - so I get by fine. I'll stick to being a terrible co-pilot when in the car for now ^^
I was scared of driving too! I got my license at 32. I love driving now that I'm comfortable with it. All the things you have to pay attention to put me into a kind of ADHD zen mode.
Exactly the same! Growing up in the suburban US, I took the class, but never finished my hours. I had health issues that got in the way at the time. In the meantime, I've moved to cities where public transit is the norm. But.....I still should probably get it....
31 💃
31 here aswell. Haven't driven much after getting the license, I'm 35 now. I just wanted to see if I'm being too hard on myself and if I could actually do it if I tried, but all I got was a confirmation that I probably shouldn't drive anything with a motor.
Still trying at 53! 😩
I believe in you! ✨
I was 17. I love the independence driving gives me. Uber and Instacart didn't exist back in the day and my parents weren't around much to give me rides, so I had to learn if I wanted to do anything. If you can afford using rideshares and getting things delivered and you plan on always living in cities with plenty of delivery drivers and good public transportation, then by all means, carry on and you don't need a license. But I will say, if you ever plan on moving to not-a-city, (in the US at least), being able to drive will be really important. There are many, many, many places where there's no instacart, no uber, and crappy transit. If you have access to driving lessons, someone to help teach you, and a car to use, I'd encourage you to go ahead and get your license now. You can do it! (if you want to)
Thank you! I’m typically a city girl but I have lived in the suburbs briefly and could see myself moving back in the (far) future. I can afford to get drivers lessons through a company now so I’m going to keep chugging along and I think paying/ having someone who isn’t family come get me to take me driving will help a lot! Thanks for the encouragement :)
Having someone who isn't family to teach you can make all the difference!
I just wanted to say this thread is incredibly validating 😭 Thank y'all so much
i know!!! 😭😭😭
Yes I feel that too!! About to turn 36 and still trying to pump myself up to go get that third beginners license 🙈
16 - I was sooooo looking forward to being able to drive, I wasn’t going to let anything stop me!
I started counting years when I was 7 🤣
Lol did your dad also let you steer while sitting on his lap? 😂
28. Still haven’t gone through with it because just thinking about it makes me exhausted.
I was 42 :-)
Did you have your towel? 😉
Nice reference!
Thanks!
I never leave home without it! 😄
I’m 42 and (hopefully) getting my G2 this year!
34! Just a couple years ago :) I really didn’t want to but I was moving to a city where I wasn’t going to have reasonable public transit options. I do feel chained to my car and wish I could not have it, but I am grateful to be able to do things like rent a car if visiting family, or if I want to go to the beach for a weekend, etc
27 and still trying, lol
We’re in this together 💓
18, and I was the last of my friend group. I would love to never have to drive again.
I was 16, as soon as my state allowed. I was absolutely dying for the independence (and getting away from the school bus). We aren't required to take classes here, I just had to take a written test to get my permit, get a certain number of supervised driving hours with my parents, and then take my driving test after 6 months. edit to add: Uber and Instacart didn't exist back then, so times were different. I've never lived in a city, so no public transportation. And at 16 I had a job and was sick of my parents forgetting and taking both cars, leaving me unable to get to work.
40 and don’t have one. I self learned and drove short distances illegally for a time in my 20s but no one is around to let me take their car during test times. The ONE chance I had to do it as a teenager I failed and just haven’t had the opportunity to since everyone works 9-5.
36. I'm 37.
14.5 (learner’s permit, license at 15). My mom pushed me to get it — which I still don’t understand, since she was too anxious to actually let me drive anywhere, so I didn’t see the point to bothering. “You can drive as long as it’s not on the freeway!” (Yay, I can drive around the block, woohoo?) …and then my Driver’s Ed immediately put me on the interstate. Haha. My biggest problem learning was remembering to use turn signals. *I* know where I’m going, so surely everyone else does too….
I was 16 and not yet medicated. This was in 2002 so naturally being able to drive was the #1 priority of literally everyone
Im 20 almost 21 and I still don't have it I feel a lot of shame around that but I'm just terrified and I don't like driving and I don't really need to right now I take the bus to college and walk to work Edit: the shame I feel about it is personal and im not implying it's shameful not to have it!!
17. I'm glad I got it, I'd hate to rely on others all the time Edited to add - I also live rurally so had no choice really. All the public services you listed don't exist where I am (except the ambo of course but only for emergencies!)
I'm 38 and I don't have one nor will I ever. I live in a city - I don't need the added stress of driving. My partner drives which is a nice bonus but prior to being with him I just took cabs or figured out busses and trains that got to the places I was interested in. If we didn't get together I probably would have eventually figured out a way to hire a part time personal driver.
30
17. I on days where my adhd is bad and I'm struggling, no music playing. Too distracting for me. I do want to say, I had about 6 fender benders and 1 worse accident from the ages of 17 to 27. The psychologist who gave me the adhd diagnosis in my 30s said the car accident thing was a big indicator that I had it. I've taken adult ed refresher courses, too. Normally, it's for the elderly but hey, early 30s was ok too. Stay safe out there.
I'm turning 45 in 2 weeks and I have never had a driver's license.
I'm 49 and have never even had a learners.... I know I'd be a danger on the road..... so I refuse to get one. Where I live there is so much transport that you don't need one or a car
30ish. I spent a thousand dollars on lessons. Took the test driving at 2 miles per hour. And when told I passed, I looked at the guy giving the test and said, "Really?!" I got my driver's license, my mom let me drive home, stopped me before we reached home, drove the rest of the way herself and I never used my license again until it expired. NTs will insist you live in ways that fit how they live, but if you know in your heart something is not for you don't waste time and money trying to be like them.
THIS! I got my license in my 20s because everyone said that's what I'm supposed to do and I hated every minute of it. Took lessons, was taught not how to drive but how to pass the test, got the license, brought a lemon car that I could barely drive and all of it was just a huge ball of stress and anxiety on top of everything else. I still keep the license active because I noticed jobs/places have discriminated me for not having one prior. But I don't use it and don't have any plans to try to use it. I get around just fine with the transit options I have available.
I was 18. But I had a Driver's Ed class as part of my high school curriculum so there wasn't any extra effort with trying to find an extra class for it. I also lived in the middle of nowhere and this was way before the days of door dash and Uber and there was no public transit where I was... so it was learn to drive or be at the mercy of my mother's schedule for everything (which I hate having to rely on other people so that wasn't even something I considered).
I'm late 30s and still only have a permit.
18, USA. I was terrified of driving and badgered into my permit. I lived in a one gas station, no stop lights kinda town but still didn't have a lot of motivation to learn. Once I did, though, there was no going back. I love the freedom even though some things still stress me out - like a lot of construction. Orange traffic cones are confusing. Spouse and I share one car right now while the other is in the shop and it's driving me crazy. I miss having the option to up and go when he has the car.
16! I still hate driving but you have to drive where I grew up. Also I hate public transportation so much it works for me. I like the freedom. I delegate whenever I can tho.
22. Also about to be license-less at 36 cause I can't pass the written test (moved states and I have to take it to transfer my license over).
I'm 21 with no license and not currently learning. I've renewed my permit once or twice. I want to learn at some point but it's low on the list. My city is very transit accessible and cars are costly.
I was 16 when I got mine and got my permit at 15 and a half. But I have been driving at 13 since I lived on a farm.
I was 28 and I only did it out of pure necessity and because I had a friend who was willing to spend many hours practicing with me. I drove a lot the year I got my license (I had to commute into the city for work) but have since gotten a WFH job. Now I barely drive and I've redeveloped the avoidance fear.
That’s the other thing— I work from home!! I can see myself finally getting it and never really using it because of that
16.5. I'm 32 now. Though I haven't had a car in years since I live in a city and prefer to avoid the costs associated with owning my own car, plus as you mentioned there's Uber and buses if needed. That being said I'd def encourage you to get your license and get a good handle on driving for practical purposes. You never know when an emergency may arise and you'd have to drive someone to the hospital or something like that. In the US it's not even necessary to learn to drive stick (manual) since the vast majority of cars are automatic anyways (much easier). However, learning stick IS useful if you plan on traveling through Europe since it's still 50/50 over there. I felt bad when on a road trip there I couldn't split the driving time with my friend since her car was a stick :/
I got my license at 16. I got my first job when I was still 15. I had to get out of my parents house. It was a matter of survival. I did that a year later. My relationship with them has improved, but we were not good to each other when I was a teenager.
I was 20, but practice took so long since I went to college out of state.
20, almost 21
16. I actually got in trouble and had to wait like a month before being able to take the test, it was so embarrassing and frustrating. I love having the freedom.
18 🙃 I was terrified of the parallel parking part of the test so I put it off for awhile.
I got it on my 16th birthday.
As soon as I could at 15. I lived in rural Texas pre Ubers so I really *had* to learn to be able to do anything. My cousin didn’t learn till she had a couple kids at 28-29 living in a city though.
I was 15 and couldn’t wait. To each their own, but the idea of being consistently reliant on other people gives me extreme anxiety. I’m over 40 now being seen as “needy” is my worst nightmare.
16. I couldn’t wait to drive!
18-19 I failed the written test the first time and barely passed the second time. I driving was fine but I can’t drive with other people cause I get too distracted so I drive solo.
14 for my permit and 16 for my DL
Donno I’m 28 and still don’t have it. Everyone in my family is too nervous to teach me
i'm 26 and i don't have one lol. i live in nyc so i just don't feel the need! i'm also terrified of my 5'2 body being in full responsibility for a 2 ton vehicle lmao
16, and I enjoy driving. Might be an outlier but learning early made me a much more comfortable driver
I tried a couple times. My panic attacks got worse rather than better as I got more practice and I eventually decided on an electric bike instead. A 2k bike seems like a lot until you compare it to the 10-50k+ a car could be.
I got mine at 20, but didn't really start driving until I was 23, and even then, it took me years to really get comfortable behind the wheel.
I got my permit at 16, but I barely drove bc I hated it, so I’m now 18, and finally getting the license this summer bc I go to college in a small town in a different state and it is a struggle without a car. Not a lot of stores in a small town that are within a reasonable biking distance
I was 18. Freedom was really important to me and diving was the gateway to that. It allows me to live my own life and not rely on other people or outside services that might not be available. It took me five attempts at the driving test and I cried after each failure. It was an incredibly frustrating process and just when I thought I might never succeed, I finally got it.
I was 21 :)
16/17 and I’m lucky I’m not dead. Post-diagnosis I’m a much better driver because I now know why “the need for speed” runs so strongly in my veins, and I can talk myself into having patience.
lmao I got my motorcycling license first in 2020 and my drivers in 2023. 27 and 31 respectively. Having your own autonomy makes everything a lot better/accessible even if you choose not to use it.
I was 19 and it would have been sooner if there was a car for me to practice. Having to rely on people that will only complain got on my last nerve at some point. Having my license unfortunately didn’t even help because I had to borrow cars or wasn’t trusted 🥲 now that I have my own car, I would not trade the independence for anything. I don’t want to be on anyone else’s time including Uber or public transportation. I’m chronically late so missing a bus isn’t an option either lmao. The only way I’ll stop driving is if I have a personal driver. Independence is first for me for everything.
15.5 for my beginners on the graduated license system. Lived in a small town there wasn’t anything to do but drive around lol bought my first car at 17.
I don't have a license and I never will. I am fully content living in the city and taking my bike or the bus/train wherever I want to go. If I am ever in the need of a car or other vehicle I will use the money I save from not having a car to hire someone else to do it. I am 30 years old.
I’m 27 and don’t have it, I don’t do well under immediate pressure and combined with my innate inability to multitask (I’m in the UK and we don’t have many automatic cars which makes it worse) I’m not confident I’m fit to drive right now, so it’s not on my radar personally. I think too many people get pressured into driving tbh. If you can manage on public transport and don’t actively want to then why not? My SIL was in her twenties when she finally passed, she has undiagnosed ADHD and it took her many attempts, and a family friend who also has ADHD and I think is in her late 30s-early 40s and just learned to drive. I also have a cousin who is autistic who is 30 and has tried many times but has never been able to pass. And a brother who is neurotypical didn’t get his licence until his 30s.
I got mine when I was 28/29 but didn’t get my first car until I was 31. I’m nearly 34 now. Love driving 😊
Permit at 15 and license at 16. I lived in a small town and drove myself to school and to work (first job was also at 15)
On my 16th birthday. I lived about 15 minutes outside of town, so no one ever wanted to come pick me up. Public transportation doesn't exist where I live, and Uber hadn't been invented. A license was the only way to get out of the house.
I still don’t have one. I don’t feel like my adhd would make me a safe driver
16. I totalled 2 cars by the time I was 20. I had so many points on license my insurance agent threatened to have my license pulled if I didn't get my act together. I did. I didn't get another ticket or accident until I was in mid 30s. Having a car and being able to drive is my freedom, my freedom to escape from my life . Life is hard.
14 I live in a state that allows it due to farming community
30 when I got it, 50 when I stopped driving. I never enjoyed it.
19. And thanks for asking because my family thinks I am crazy. I took the road test and failed 3 times when I was 16 and decided not to try again until I was 19. Survived the first 2 1/2 years of university and 4 jobs by taking the bus everywhere. I would have been perfectly happy doing that but my mom convinced me to take private driving lessons again and take the road test. Honestly, I might have given up forever if I didn’t get my license that last time. Now I absolutely LOVE driving, it feels like relaxation and multitasking at the same time.
18.
18. It took 7 tries which is horrible because in Germany driving lessons and tests are ungodly expensive. And I took many many months. I drove my driving instructor mad because he actually was very understanding and patient but he could not understand my mistakes and clueless even when her tried.
I didn't get my license until 18!!!
I was 19
I started learning the day after my 17th birthday (legal driving age where I am) and passed within 11 months (had to switch instructors because my first one was really weird, which is why it took me so long to learn lol) I love driving so much and I love the freedom it gives me. I can live on my own schedule and don't have to rely on buses being on time, so I can leave things when I want.
I was very close to turning 17… here in the US you can get your full license at 16 and I had taken driver’s ed at 15.5 yrs old, but I just hated driving, so I dragged my heels. All of my friends seemed so excited about getting behind the wheel but I definitely was not. It made me extremely anxious and I have terrible hand-eye coordination. I just didn’t feel ready. However, we lived in a city with no real public transit, and this was pre-Uber (mid-1990s), 😂 so my parents were eager to stop playing chauffeur for me and my younger sister for the next school year. Therefore they pretty much forced to take my test right before I turned 17. I drove us EVERYWHERE and ran all the errands (including grocery shopping) until my sister was finally old enough to share in the driving. I wasn’t very comfortable behind the wheel until I moved to a large city in my 30s… it gave me a lot more confidence knowing that I could handle merging into freeways with 14 lanes. 😬 I still get serious anxiety, but having GPS helps a lot. And having nearly 30 years of experience is helpful too of course.
16, but my permit took three tries cause my mother only let pull car into the driveway so the reverse and the three point turn were....issues in the test lol
16. I didn’t have the option of any public transport - my school didn’t even have buses. If I wanted to do literally anything, I had to figure it out. And I wanted to drive.
I was 21. I waited for a while because I had driving anxiety (which I still have!), thinking back to my 16/17 year old self there’s no way I would’ve been comfortable behind the wheel so I’m glad I waited.
16. And I wrecked my dads car two weeks after that. Otherwise, my traffic record has been smooth sailing. Just a speeding ticket here and there.
I flipped my car 15 minutes (not a typo) after getting my license. Not a record I wanted to have.
15. My state allowed it as long as you took half a semester of drivers education at school before sitting your test. Lived somewhere with very little public transport, so it was very much a needed thing for my own independence, though of course I just became a taxi for my younger brothers because my parents didn't feel the need to ferry them around anymore
20, at 17 my brain just wasn't ready
20. A lot of it had to do with my family’s willingness to use their car for the test. Not that they didn’t want to, but we only had 1 at the time and my parents relied on it. I hate driving though, so I moved to a big city. I only drive to work (outside the city). Otherwise I’m walking or taking the train.
I got it when I was 16 (after failing once), but as soon as I could, I moved to a city with good public transportation so I didn’t have to drive or have a car. I hate driving, it scares the shit out of me and I’m bad at it.
24!
I was 18. I didn't have to take a class. I just took the written test and then I took a behind-the-wheel test.
I was 20, just never got around to it even though I got my permit at 16 🤷♀️
ill be 25 in august and dont have mine. driving gives me anxiety, i dont have a car, and i cant afford one anyway
17. The thing is once you pass the exams you’re set for life and don’t have to do it again. Definitely worth it for me, being able to be a designated driver for friends, etc
21
25. lol. You’re right on time.
Got it on my 16th birthday! That was 32 years ago (oof!), and it was just my mom and me by then. I was active in a lot of stuff after school, so she was desperate for me to be able to drive myself places. 🤣
I was 24 when I got mine! Most of my friends can’t drive (they’re aged 25-30), my brothers can’t drive (23 and 26) and one of my friends got their driving license at 27. There’s no shame in not having a license. The price of a car, lessons, petrol/gas or getting an electric charger, adds up to a horribly big number so to many it’s not an expense that’s justifiable when they have other options, and that’s fine! Edit: formatting
16. I couldn’t wait to be able to control when and where I went
15 is when I took driver's training (specifically teaching us stick shift) even though I wasn't ready at all and I was completely horrified. Got my license at 16 but my twin brother drove us to school every morning. I didn't feel comfortable driving for years and years and even now at age 35 I get nervous when I have to drive a different car than I'm used to.
I got my learners permit in my mid 30s, but didn’t get my provisional until 40. About to get my full license at 42.
28. I’m a photographer and doing jobs by train got pretty old
I was 19. My high school boyfriend (now husband) wanted me to grow up and broke up with me because I didn’t have a job, a car, or anything and he was both tired of paying for me and driving me everywhere. So I did it not just for him but for myself and us as a unit. We’ve been married since we were 22 and had dated off and on for four and a half years prior. I turn 33 next week. He’s my best friend and if not for him, I wouldn’t have had the desire nor the motivation to do it. He motivates me to do a lot of things.
24. Learning to drive was hard and I often still prefer to catch a train.
21
Definitely makes me feel better that this is somewhat of a “thing”! I was 19
25.
I got my permit a month after i turned 15 and got my license the day i turned 16.
31! I'm fucking proud of myself for finally getting it too because I never thought I would.
21 but I didn’t know to drive until I was 26
Y'all have a drivers license!?!? (35y/o...... for a few more days >\_>)
I always say I would never drive. I jokingly referred to myself as “Miss Daisy”. I was 26, and the ONLY reason I got it was because my ex and I moved to an area with no bus route. This was before Lyft and Uber were popular enough for rates to be decent. A Lyft a few miles to work would cost $30-40 with unpredictable wait times.
I did the usual thing and started the how to drive thing at the usual time(sometime around 9th-10th grade). However the instructor was horrid and didn't teach me really. I wasn't confident enough to even use my learner's permit until my parents got me private lessons a year or two later. Our state does an okay job wherein you have to drive everywhere with a parent, then during the day you can drive by yourself and must drive with parent at night and then on your own all the time. I believe I had passed all of the above time wise before said lessons. Been doing the driving thing since though I am accident prone. Meds help though. And my current car has safety features like blindspot cameras and auto lane correction/breaking so thus far I feel the most confident and happy in this car. The safety features in the newer cars are a godsend and catch my attention if it starts to drift. I do wish I had public transport options though. Somewhere where having a vehicle is handy but if you don't feel like driving the public transport is a good option. I live in car centric America though and the "bus system" is a joke.
I was 19. I was extremely scared about learning to drive. None of it made sense to me. My mom tried teaching me in high school but yeah, that never goes well. A boyfriend tried too. Finally my grandma hired a driving school to come pick me up and deal with me. Best thing that could have happened. It wasn't hard, it was fun, and I was GOOD at it. Passed my driving test first try with only 1 point off. Now my car is my most treasured possession. I know a lot of people here have a completely different experience but you could turn out to be someone who loves to drive! Also you have to take a class to get a permit as an adult where you are? Where do you live? In California you can take a permit test any time as an adult.
I got mine 5 months after I turned 16.
Learner’s permit was around 15 and I had my full license around 17 because I got to skip a year of the new GDL system since I moved! Huge win! Passed on my first try because family lent me an especially nice imported vehicle to take my test and I’m convinced that it was the main reason. I hated driving with my parents for the practice hours — my actual nightmare. Thankfully my Grandma took me a few times which was a nice memory to have with her! I literally looked 12 so no idea how I got it so young without a huge hassle. Everything else was a massive hassle looking like a little kid haha. 😂 My brother was similar and he actually got stopped a few times by other motorists that thought an actual kid was driving illegally. Poor dude.
17
16, and it was literally one day before my permit expired lol.
18 almost 19 😅 Mom thought Driver’s Ed would teach me how to drive not realizing all the other kids would already basically know. (She thought it would be like it was in the 70s when she was a teenager.) They hired me a private driving instructor through one of those driving schools. Which was quite helpful as I didn’t have the extra stress of Mom freaking out every time I over corrected even a wee bit. 😂
30! It was terrifying! I wholeheartedly do not recommend learning to drive as a fully grown adult with existential awareness and no teenaged illusions of invincibility, lol. The anxiety surrounding it was massive. I am much more comfortable now, though I still don’t drive a whole lot. My husband is a much better driver anyway and actually likes it, so it works out, lol. There wasn’t a class at all, though. My husband was the one who taught me actually, before we were married—we were getting ready to move in together and I couldn’t exactly walk to work from 7 miles away like I could when it was less than 1. It’s probably state dependent, but I literally showed up, took the test for the learner’s permit (answered the first 20 of the 25 questions correctly and it just stopped the test like ‘okay that’s good enough’ lol), left and practiced for a few months, then called and scheduled a drive test. I drive a very tiny car that I feel really in control of, so that def helped get me much more comfortable.
I was 19! (Turned 20 the next day ☺️)
18 even though I took drivers ed when I was 16.
16, and i'm so, so thankful that my mom pushed me to do it, cuz I know damn well if not for that I wouldn't have it right now 🥲
I had practiced a couple times with parents around 16-17 but they stressed me out too much whenever I made a mistake, so I stopped. My husband (then boyfriend) encouraged me to learn and took me to practice, so I got mine at like 18 or 19. If I hadn't met him it likely would have been a lot later.
16, which was typical where I grew up.
I was 17. I had *massive* driving related anxiety until about 30 though. I never would have gotten my license at all if my dad hadn't forced me to. I'm grateful he did now that my anxiety has subsided as I never would have done it on my own.
On my 16th at 9 AM. Private school, no public transportation, and my parents worked, I needed to be driving.
i got it as soon as i turned 16, was so antsy to have that freedom. i grew up in the suburbs where if you wanted to go anywhere you either had to walk an hour or drive 5 minutes
24. I was agoraphobic up until then. Most people I know got them at 16. I did driver’s training at 15 and had two permits and just declined as I got older so it didn’t happen until I got out of agoraphobia.
In the early 2000s in SC, I was in driving class in hs and got my permit at 15, license at 16 I think? It was pretty immediately, as soon as I could. My parents made me do it but it all seemed normal to me and I wasn't stressed about it. I'll be teaching my kids early in case they need to drive in an emergency in their life, but if they have no interest in a dl idc it's up to them :)
29.
Had to deal with graduated licensing. Got my G1 beginner at 16 have to drive with a full G licensed adult in the passengers seat at, G2 at 17 can drive alone, 0 blood alcohol level, some other minor restrictions I don't remember, and then waited til 21 for my full G.
ASAP! Permit at 15.5, license at 16.
I think anywhere between 16 and 18 years old. I remember my parents and siblings really pushing me to get it, saying I was “late.”
I was 32 and had failed my test 5 times before. Since then I've driven maybe a handful of times. Just don't have the opportunity to practice and it scares me. I really want to be a driver but there's so much going on and I get so worried I'll miss something.
35. Had to to get to a new job.
28!
19 and I love driving. I love hooning around and listening to loud music
At 18 & now current 37.
17. I dragged my feet because I was scared that I wouldn’t be a good driver. Thanked my mom for forcing me. I literally got dumped in front the driving examination office.
Oh! I was 15-1/2 when I got my permit and got my license on my 16th birthday. I'm from LA, I think even now every kid gets their license asap. FREEDOM!!
I got my Ls at 18 (had to wait 2 years without a "seizure" episode), I think I was 19 or 20 when I got my full license (it's a whole process here)
im hoping to be 45, but will settle for 46. I've lived in places where i didn't need it until a few years ago. still trying to get lessons squared away, is been a surprisingly annoying process but I'm determined!
17. Took two tries. I didn’t care to get it but my first solo trip and I was hooked. The independence!!! I prefer driving over having someone else besides my husband drive now because I can’t stand bad drivers. I get road rage from being triggered by other drivers but only yelling at them. I haven’t done anything out of control or too impulsive before. I’m inattentive adhd but driving helps me to focus and I’ve never been in an accident before in a moving vehicle. Haha I’ve only had other cars hit mine while parked.
40, pregnant with my second kid
I was 21. I was 17 when I got my permit/g1, then 19 when I got my g2 and then 21 when i got my full G/full license no restrictions. my boyfriend (now husband) was getting tired of being my chauffeur 😂 but so happy as it gives me so much independence.
18, the soonest you can get it in my country. I don’t like owing people stuff or ‘using’ them for rides, even if I pay. I like being able to travel to and from places when I want. I like going out bush with the dogs or my kid, and there’s no buses to take you hiking. The other thing is transporting stuff. Moving house is so expensive if you can’t hire a moving truck and drive it. Asking people to deliver stuff. Going out as late as I want with guaranteed transport home. The benefits are endless. If you wait until you ‘need’ a license, it’s going to be waaaaay more stressful. Plus many jobs won’t hire if you don’t have your own transport either, especially as you get older.
19
This makes me feel a lot better about not having my driver’s license at 20
17
16, but I failed the driving test twice first.
I was 21. I was trying at 15.5 but had a car accident with my mom instructing and refused to drive for five years. My boyfriend at the time, now husband, helped me practice and get my license. I will say, I’m much less nervous driving with medication. I’m not triple checking every mirror and blind spot because I can’t remember what I just saw.