I'm super careful driving as I know I could easily loose my license and that would be a great loss of freedom. I drive when heavily disabled but I also often wait up to an hour or more before driving when I know I need too. I often pull over and wait for my condition to improve when I find myself feeling unsafe. I thought I was doing pretty well using my own judgment until the following experience.

I was stiff as wood on a totally well known route I drive daily going about 40 mph with a speed limit of 65. When feeling good I would drive the speed limit comfortably. The rural road is narrow two lane blacktop with NO SHOULDER. Suddenly, a pickup truck was blasting toward me on MY SIDE OF THE ROAD! Frozen, I managed to get my foot on the brake pedal and start braking. My mind was moving slow and I was stuck trying to decide if I turn to the left side of the road or turn off the road to the right. Off to the right would likely mean loosing control of the car. The pickup jerked back to it's proper lane in the last 2-3 seconds. I question whether or not I could have moved fast enough to avoid a head on collision if the other driver hadn't taken action.

Conclusion: I'm sure the other driver was drunk. I was so busy managing my own disabled condition keeping my driving correct that I forgot about the
the drunks and other idiots on the road. I'm pretty good about monitoring my own level of disability when driving and driving defensively but I realized that I don't stand a chance if forced into an emergency, split second decision needed, situation.

I would prefer someone else drive and don't like to have passengers riding with me. I prepare myself and plan hours ahead when I know I have to drive to an appointment. I often take a backup driver with me if I foresee possible complications.

Driving is a huge responsibility. I take it very seriously.

Hi all,

For me the choice was easy. Driving is a priviledge not a right. I asked myself if I could live with myself if I accidentally killed someone in a traffic accident. The answer was no so I gave my husband my Title to my car and he traded it and his own in at the same time to buy a new car that would provide him reliable transportation to and from work.

Am I always happy about my decision? Absolutely not! When my husband and I have a heated disagreement, he has the power to grab the car keys, jump in the car, and drive away to cool off. I have to sit in the house and wonder if and when he will be back. I also envy his freedom. He is more considerate when he uses this type of escape, understanding how it makes me feel, and will tell me when or where he is going if he has the need to escape. I understand that need, having used it myself when upset, but still am full of self pity when it happens.

I loved the responsibility of driving. I really went into a funk when I gave it up but have a network of friends with whom I have shared interests who are willing to give me a lift when I need one.

Vicky

I still drive for the most part. I've taken to letting my wife drive when we go out as a family just to be on the safe side. I've noticed that when I get into a big city, traffic is nerve racking. Also, if I'm out on the highway I can only drive for about 100 miles before it gets to me. Around town doing daily errands I do just fine.

Glad you are in one piece Carolyn, this blogg would be a whole lot less without you; I'm sure all members and lurkers agree .
It's all about the on/off time, i guess. Had you been right on (those increasingly rare moments), it probably would have been just a @^%$ you idiot situation, instead of a near heart attack.
Driving is so very capricious, and I tell my 17 year old daugter this (bought her her first car and pay the insurance and gas, what a succa i am eh? ). WE all know that life threatening situations occur only rarely if you are a good driver or not, but how one reacts to it makes all the difference between here and heaven, and we never know whether we have the "reacts" at any particular time. We can get out our PD slide rulers and attempt to calculate if we are in proper driving form, but time and space have a nasty way of warping for us PDer's, so we can REALLY never tell if we can handle a situation or not.
Quite unrelated , but still pertinent; yesterday, I went out and kicked a soccer ball around with my youngest for 10 minutes, pruned the grape vines (all without my cane or anything else to hold me up) and proceded to plunge into an "extreme off" within 2 minutes. When one is on the highway attempting an hour drive, whats two minutes? One exit?
DRiving now is only done absolutely when neccessary and only within town, like the time last winter when my youngest missed his bus during a cold,cold day and he would have had to walk home without a jacket, and Mom was at work in another town.
In closing, all I can reccomend is that one still keep in practice, for that eventual "test", and KNOW ONE'S LIMITS . Easier said than done. Always a good thread to remind us that we are DIFFERENT than the average bear! cs