Waiting for Driver’s License | ADHD Information

Our son was diagnosed with ADHD when he was small. He is now 18. My husband also has ADHD. We have had a rollercoaster of a ride ever since. He started using drugs when he was 14 and stopped when he knew we would be testing him regularly and the consequences were steep. We waited until he was 18 to get his driver's liscense. Well, I don't think we waited long enough. On August 8th he was in an accident that nearly killed him. He was driving 80 miles an hour, no seatbelt and had been drinking earlier in the evening. The car slid on gravel and rolled. Thank God no one was with him and he did not hit another car. He is alive only because of God's protection. My point is he obviously was not ready to drive. He has had one speeding ticket and this accident after having his liscense less than 6 months. I remember reading somewhere ADHD boys especially are at least 5-7 years behind maturity of their peers. Now it looks as though he won't be able to drive for several years which will be for the best. My brother-in-law who also has ADHD had several accidents in his youth that nearly killed him also. I am aging before my time! I don't think kids in general are ready to drive at 16, so waiting till 18 was a good idea. I made my "normal" child wait until she was 18,and she still wasn't really ready

I was 18 before I got my driver's license- although it had more to do with living in a very small town (everything was walking distance) and having my two best friends who not only could drive but had their own cars. 

One of my friends always said she wasn't ready to drive though.  But her grandparents were giving her the car when she turned 16 and it was a now or never deal.  She said she wished they made "training cars" that had inflatable bumpers and would not go fast.  When I think about the prospect of my son driving someday I wish they would too!

It makes me want to have my 15 year old daughter wait until she is 18 to drive.  She is normal but has a tendency to drive faster than I would like even with me in the car.

Hey susiequte, what is your ss diagnosis? I just thought that by age 20, the maturity would start to happen. Does your ss have a more severe diagnosis than adhd?

I hope I am not being too personal by asking.

My husband wouldn't let my stepson get his DL at age 16. He was just too immature. Well, he's 20 now and still immature! He's not currently living with us (thank heavens!), but emotionally and psychologically he is stuck about age 13. He gets a bus pass monthly from Voc Rehab and that's how he gets around. Even if he wanted to get a DL right now, we would not support his decision. It would be a disaster waiting to happen!