to bevery disappointed that only 63% of women can DRIVE!! ffs

[JunoWatt]

its like saudi arabia here
ONLY JUST OVER HALF OF US! GET A LICENCE LADIES

Nothing against car drivers or cars. I just think the OP has demonstrated the blind unthinking dependence on cars our society has

My Mum drives the car round the corner to the local shop sometimes. It's a 10 min walk away. I can understand when it's raining or she's buying a lot of things but most days when she's just nipping out for a lottery ticket I don't get why she doesn't just walk.

As soon as I went to Uni I lost half a stone from walking everywhere. By the time I left I'd gone from a size 14-16 to an 8-10 just from walking more.

I think it's interesting that there is still a difference though, as even the 'neglible' differences are in the same direction. I don't think there are more dyspraxic women than men. I suspect MillyR has it.

MintyMoo - I think you and I might have had a conversation about Dyspraxia before.

"Now Dyspraxia means I cannot judge speed or distance accurately, I cannot distinguish left from right, ..."

Absolutely that is what happens. I also still get lost in the very small town I live in after 4 years! I can only get around by looking for landmarks. The thing is I can actually drive and manouvre a vehicle really well - just not on a road.

I cannot afford to buy or run a car so why on Earth would I spend thousands learning to drive?

Maybe I should get a pilot's license too... Just in case

The car hire thing is a red herring - you need to have held a license for a number of years before being able to hire.

'but i don't like the idea that the dyspraxics who can't drive have let our disability stand in the way.'

Anymore than I like the idea that it's an excuse for any dyspraxic. My husand doesn't agree it's ever impossible, either, for a dyspraxic who is not also perhaps suffering from another disorder such as ASD or the like. He is also dyslexic. But I'm not so I can't comment.

My daughter is dyspraxic as well, it has caused quite a few delays in her learning (she's in P2 and she's 8 in two weeks, she is being assessed for visual dyspraxia because she continues to struggle with reading in a major way). We live in a rural area and will do our utmost best if she wants to drive. Charlie Boorman is so dyslexic he's functionally illiterate. But he still wanted to learn drive so much he passed both the road and hte motorbike exam and has clean records for both.

She may need to drive only an automatic, however, we'll see when the time comes and if she shows the desire.

Basingstoke - Dyspraxia affects 3 males to every female. My neurologist said although it's more common in men the most severe cases tend to be in women.

I hid it quite well, it was only when I attempted to learn to drive that it became apparent that I had a serious problem. The neuropsychologist I saw told me that women tend to be diagnosed later with it than men as women tend to be able to hide it better at school.

MoreBeta - I think we have. I'm the same, I lived in a town for 10 years and when mates who still live there tell me so and so lives on such and such street I just have to smile and nod. I exist by landmarks :)

I know that X shop is 5 mins walk from the Church or that the bakery is next to the park which is round the corner from the Post Office.

I cannot remember road marks for the life of me. Sometimes I wonder how I function. I took someone with dyspraxia who is more severely affected by myself on the tube and I had to help her with so much, it really brought it home to me how difficult I had found the tube until I lived in London. My bf had to teach me how to use the maps, where to look to make sure if you needed the east or west bound etc. It took several holidays in London and numerous trips flat hunting until I could use the tube unsupervised. I was 21!

Exactly, MoreBeta. DH has adapted and still adapts due to his disability, for which he receives DLA. But he really really really loves to drive. He has always loved driving and cars. It took 5 tries, however, for him to pass. But pass he did!

He is still very bad with street names, especially as he has dyslexia. But that's what SatNavs are for! Or he asks directions and asks if they know by landmarks as he has trouble reading.

But try to get him to follow a recipe. LOL. Before he got the DSi with the cooking guide game, it wasn't pretty unless he was shown and did it a lot. Even now, he has to keep going back and still 'forgets'. Reading is something that's a real struggle.

cars are the Devil's carriage

leave them in the hedgerows, women, cut yourselves a stout stick and half a loaf of bread and walk

expat - it really does depend on the severity of the dyspraxia.

I know of some people whose dyspraxia is so severe they cannot walk.

I'm in my 20s and still can't use a knife and fork properly, if my DP would let me I'd eat most things with my fingers. My co-ordination is truly shit, I struggle to stand on two legs without falling over.

My experience with driving has shown me I would be far too dangerous on the road - it's not normal to almost kill 6 people in 9 lessons! If I can drive on the wrong side of the road and not realise it until the driving instructor told me then I'm not safe. My short term memory is horrendous, I've forgotten my own name on more than one occasion, I frequently forget my birthday (DP has to remind me it's coming up). When I was driving I was unable to check the mirrors and watch the road at the same time. I couldn't change gears without looking down. My driving instructor said he'd never encountered such a crap student before.

I have fought very hard to overcome a lot of my obstacles, I'm very organised, I can write with both hands to give my right hand a break. I've managed to get a degree from a good Uni, I even wrote a dissertation! I'm proud of all of those things however I have accepted there are somethings I may never manage to overcome and riding a bike and driving are in that camp.

Dyspraxia affects 3 males to every female

I'm not sure that's true - dyspraxia has only recently started to be diagnosed more commonly and it is commonly cited that the boys get noticed in schools because they will play up etc, wheras girls will normally be quiet.

I think it affects both genders the same. we just don't have up to date statistics yet.

expats - i think your DH should appreciate that everybodys dyspraxia is different. You cant judge a whole group of people based on the experience of your family.

DD1 has diagnoses of: dyspraxia, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia. DH of dyspraxia, dyslexia and dysgraphia.

It's entirely possible she has visual dyspraxia as well.

She had an undiagnosed lazy eye and lost 1/3 of the vision in it and it wasn't discovered until a few months ago .

She can read a story and not recognise the same word if it's on the line above in the exact some spot. It's like she never saw it in her life.

But if she wants to learn to drive, well, we'll do the best possible, especially DH.

expat - do you live in quite a small quiet town or country?

I think I would drive if for example I could just drive around in a familiar 10 mile x 10 mile square on minor roads and a town centre or maybe just enough to get to a railway station, local hospital etc..

'expats - i think your DH should appreciate that everybodys dyspraxia is different. You cant judge a whole group of people based on the experience of your family.'

It's really no one's business or place to judge what he thinks. I'm glad I don't have it.

So is this thread actually about dyspraxia? Sorry, think I've lost the plot.

ah expat - now I'm a fantastic cook - my father is in the Royal Master Chefs society but didn't teach me to cook as he found it too difficult (I strongly suspect he has Aspergers). So I taught myself and learned what I could from observing him. I do struggle with new recipes (I find writing them out myself helps) and sometimes the timing is off or I forget to do the potatoes but I do generally cook pretty well. I don't really do timing, I check by taste and sight rather than 'has it been 10 mins since I put the rice on?'

And I get DP to do the chopping and peeling!

dyspraxia affects people so differently.

orbinator - it's always about dyspraxia. We are like ninjas .

I was going to say I don't believe that statistic until I read the thread and saw just how many non drivers there are here. I've only ever met 2 people, of either sex, who can't drive. I had no idea it was a common thing at all.

But I live in the middle of nowhere with one bus a day (at something crazy like 10am) and a £20 taxi fare to the nearest train station. So driving is absolutely necessary, especially as I need to be in town 10 miles away most evenings.

I wish I didn't need to drive though. I have very poor spatial awareness and am a totally crap and very nervous driver.

Despite not driving I do really seriously want to own a really beautiful classic car. Something like an Aston or an E Type would be my guilty secret fantasy car in the garage.

Beta, that's not 'driving', that's 'lusting' .

Have you ever read anything about life for women in Saudi?

What a ridiculously ignorant thing to say.

That is the sort of OP i would expect a desperatly uneducated fuck nugget to post

i think having a car depends on the individual and their situation for me i have a car because its a necessity im a single mum i have to drop off the kids to school and nursery and me to work and we are all in different directions where there is no bus service, a few months ago i had to go with out a car and life was hell talk about loads of money on cabs.

I wouldnt go to the extent of comparing it to our Saudi sisters

i think the saudi thing was hyperbole and anyone taking it seriously needs to get a grip.

equally this i not about car ownership, i have driven since i was 17 but didn't own a car until late 20's.

But why would you spend a thousand pounds or so to learn todrive if it is a skill that you won't be using in the foreseeable future?

Who really has the money to effectively throw away?

Juno - you said driving is "so liberating". I'm not sure about that. I can drive but I prefer not to. I love a quiet country road as much as anyone (pref in a sports car) but how much of driving is quiet country roads? Most of it is crappy motorways or congested towns. Give me a bike (to keep fit and get past the crappy congestion) or a bus (at least I can read a book) anyday. Also owning a car is a big chunk of anyone's disposable income. No thanks.

Having said that, it's definitely a skill I appreciate and I will be making sure my kids get the opportunity to learn to drive as soon as possible.