I'm getting close to 40, have been studying for the driving exam since last May. It's terribly boring and tedious, and I guess that attitude is not helping, but it doesn't seem that much different than studying for an exam in my teens or twenties. I don't think there is any escape from it sucking at times, so, just, you know, make peace with that. Also, I'm not sure I'm buying any of that "plasticity" talk.
Ask HN: 40yo adult learning to drive what is different vs. learning young?
31–40 of 70 posts
Re: Ask HN: 40yo adult learning to drive what is different vs. learning young?
#32I’m in my 40s and have found that my eyes take longer to refocus from distance to another. Also, night vision is worse as you get older. When you’re young, these are more likely to be sharp.
Re: Ask HN: 40yo adult learning to drive what is different vs. learning young?
#33In general people are horrible drivers. They tailgate, roll through stop signs, signal after they start changing lanes, don’t signal at all, are oncoming and have their tire in your lane.
In NYC they play a game of not letting you merge into a lane unless you basically threaten to crash into them.
I lived a life insulated from the morons of the general public until I started driving.
Re: Ask HN: 40yo adult learning to drive what is different vs. learning young?
#34Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you really assumed everyone is trying to kill you, you should really not go outside at all. Or if you see a car nearby, immediately swerve. You should probably never stop, at lights for example.
Probably a better way of saying what they probably meant is "Always drive defensively"
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Re: Ask HN: 40yo adult learning to drive what is different vs. learning young?
#35I have a friend from southeast Asia who learned to drive as an adult in the US. He learned on a friend's car, receiving instruction from that friend. Here's some notes: Having an instructor is nice, but a patient friend who you trust will also work. The throttle is more sensitive than you'll expect at first. Automatic cars roll forward slowly unless you hold the brake. Old cars have less sensitive brake pedals - that…
| The throttle is more sensitive than you'll expect at first. Automatic cars roll forward slowly unless you hold the brake. Old cars have less sensitive brake pedals - that's normal, not a sign of anything being worn out/broken.
I think one thing worth mentioning here is that it's helpful to learn some of the limits of the car. Find an open space with nobody around and just crush the brake pedal to the floor. That's what it's meant for. Knowing how fast a car can (or cannot!) stop from 10 or 20 or 40mph will teach you a lot. Studies show some insane percentage of rear-end accidents occur while the rear-ending car was nowhere near maximum braking.
The fact that an older car might feel like it has a less sensitive brake pedal is just that -- sensitivity. It has nothing to do with ability to stop. You just have to adapt to each vehicle to get the behavior you want out of it.
Re: Ask HN: 40yo adult learning to drive what is different vs. learning young?
#36My mother passed her driving exam when she was 40. Pay for lessons. Pay attention. Breathe. Stay present. Different things to gain an intuition for: - Getting used to being in the driver's seat. Getting used to where everything is. Especially the turn signals (shoutout to my fellow BMW drivers). - Getting used to acceleration, braking, holding your speed, steering, and turn signals. - Getting used to the size of your…
> Constantly being aware of all moving objects around you.
I think this is the biggest one, and it really matters: why is a person learning at 40? Was it random circumstances or have they been avoiding something that seems too challenging? In the latter case, they may have self-selected out of the driving pool for a reason that needs to be addressed carefully.
Have they spent 40 years riding in cars and developing situational awareness of traffic as a passive observer? Or do they treat car rides like an abstract teleporter, where they barely notice what happened from start to finish?
Or, do they have some anxiety or phobia about it? Kids tend to be more plastic and adaptive, as well as somewhat risk-blind. So they can usually get through that quickly. An adult may have more challenge overcoming the fear in order to function properly as a driver. It's not very safe or responsible to do this through solo practice, since being overly anxious can really interfere with the cognitive process you need in complex traffic.
Re: Ask HN: 40yo adult learning to drive what is different vs. learning young?
#37Risk assessments.
A younger person will have higher confidence in their new skills and take higher risks, completely forgetting how underpowered their car actually is. They will perform that risky overtake of a long vehicle at night.
An older person will be more cautious due to experience of life in general and perhaps more responsibilities (mortgage, family, career).
I got my license when I was 17 and still love the freedom of driving over 20yrs later. Learning "advanced" techniques with a manual car has added to the fun too - heel-toe braking; shifting blips; double de-clutching; etc - all make the drive more engaging (and smoother).
An EV on a motorway is my idea of hell!
Re: Ask HN: 40yo adult learning to drive what is different vs. learning young?
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
My main driving mantra is: "Be as predictable as you can, but assume everyone is trying to kill you."
If you really assumed everyone is trying to kill you, you should really not go outside at all. Or if you see a car nearby, immediately swerve. You should probably never stop, at lights for example.
Fine. They're trying to kill you, but they also want to frame it as a suicide. Does that cover all bases?
Re: Ask HN: 40yo adult learning to drive what is different vs. learning young?
#39Risk assessments. A younger person will have higher confidence in their new skills and take higher risks, completely forgetting how underpowered their car actually is. They will perform that risky overtake of a long vehicle at night. An older person will be more cautious due to experience of life in general and perhaps more responsibilities (mortgage, family, career). I got my license when I was 17 and still love the…
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Re: Ask HN: 40yo adult learning to drive what is different vs. learning young?
#40My mother passed her driving exam when she was 40. Pay for lessons. Pay attention. Breathe. Stay present. Different things to gain an intuition for: - Getting used to being in the driver's seat. Getting used to where everything is. Especially the turn signals (shoutout to my fellow BMW drivers). - Getting used to acceleration, braking, holding your speed, steering, and turn signals. - Getting used to the size of your…
> Constantly being aware of all moving objects around you. I think this is the biggest one, and it really matters: why is a person learning at 40? Was it random circumstances or have they been avoiding something that seems too challenging? In the latter case, they may have self-selected out of the driving pool for a reason that needs to be addressed carefully. Have they spent 40 years riding in cars and developing si…
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