Tips For Learning To Drive Later In Life

Sally is 45 years old. She has been a competent mother of 3 children, a busy housewife and knows how to multitask better than anyone. Cooking lunch while putting the washing machine on, making a quick list of tomorrows shopping, attending to her son’s question about maths homework; all at the same time, is second nature to Sally. Yet, Sally is struggling to learn a new skill which millions of people seem to grasp quite easily – learning to drive. For whatever reason, there are a number of people who learn to drive later in life. Although driving may seem to be a relatively easy skill to learn at any age, it seems that older people take longer mastering the skill. This may be due to various factors. Fear factor As we age, our fear factor has a tendency to increase; life experiences have taught us that many things or anything can go wrong at any given time. Many people, who have travelled numerous times on an aeroplane and for many years, find that the more they fly the more the fear factor increases. Have you ever thought about the times you perhaps enjoyed a rollercoaster ride when you were young, yet the very suggestion of a ride now would make you run a mile? Reaction time As we age we tend to process information at a slower pace. This means that it takes longer to figure out what is going on and what to do about it. Changes in the nervous system are the culprits of this general “slow down”. When we are performing complicated tasks or learning a new skill like driving which requires more thought, observation, anticipation and reaction the slowing down can be even greater. Memory Short term memory (less than 30 minutes) worsens as we age, so what your driving instructor has told you 15 minutes ago, can be completely forgotten 20 minutes later! Although most of us adapt to changes in learning and memory, we do slow down and have a tendency to do things more carefully. We seem to think about things for a longer period of time, in order to remember them. Confidence It is vital to feel confident when driving; you are the one in control of the car and situation. It is your responsibility to react to adverse events. Many younger people have a “the world is mine” attitude, they are quite confident of acquiring their new skill in a short period time and are even surprised when they may find it takes a little longer than expected. Sally is finding it hard to coordinate the foot pedals while acquiring an automatic arm/hand that just knows which gear it should be in at all times; not to mention the 3 mirrors that should be checked every 8 seconds, read the signposts so she knows where she is going and at what speed… Sally knows she will eventually learn to drive; it’s just that she has no idea how long this will take. Category:Home › Other • Pomegranates: A newly discovered superfood • Where did the joke why did the chicken cross the road come from and why is it funny? • Can mothers diagnosed with bipolar disorder make good parents? • Spiritual evolution of human consciousness • Tips for getting a college basketball scholarship • Living with Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) • Caring for the caregiver • Technologys impact on society