CNN iReport

Can driving with this condition be good or bad? I have seen a few articles that indicate we are more prone to accidents and distractions then normal people. They have tried to indicate that this condition is bad, and could be dealt with by medication and trying to calm down the environment in which we drive (no music, talking on the cell phone, or talking with friends in the car).

I say, why not use our condition to our benefit. With the proper attitude towards ADHD, you can make a better driver out of us, then clump us into the group of misfits for driving that society labels ADHD with. Here is how to do that. I have ADHD (and have had it all my life). I took the opportunity to use that condition to my benefit (without the help of anyone). I'll give you a small view of my driving habits:

Typical scene (daily driving for me to work). I am traveling down the neighborhood road to the highway. I am board looking at the fairly straight road ahead, so I scan the sidewalks for a child or person that may run out in front of me. Nothing there, so I change my distraction to the gauges. I scan the Fuel, Oil light, Battery light, and speedometer.  Oh, look at the straight road (yawn), scan the car temp gauge, and speedometer again. Look at the road, then scan the sides of the street for potential people running into traffic. Look for traffic lights, are they going to change? Scan the rear view mirror and see if the person behind me is going to hit me (or id following too close), back to the road. Scan the side of the street for stop signs and so on we go...

I keep moving from subject and area on my drive to use the ADHD to keep my situational awareness of my surroundings while I am driving. I can predict the effect of traffic in an intersection and react to people not paying attention faster than normal people can since I am moving my focus to all areas of driving, rather than just paying attention to what's in front of me.

As the tasks of driving diminish (say on the highway where you're not stopping as much), I move to scanning more often to keep my mind moving from area to area (but still staying on the driving subject). This is a better way to help those with ADHD in driving than it is to try and stop the ADHD from happening. Use the condition to your advantage, not shy away from it.

You're always going to have ADHD, and medication just slows you down. Think of the advantages in life we have over the normal people in our ability to multitask at all the challenges that life offers to us (even in the work place there are times I excel with ADHD).