Spacing out while driving...

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I just started driving, last month to be exact. It was not a normal day when I spaced out for the first time while driving. I space out all the time but I never thought I would do it while driving. I had stayed out late the night before and my mom told me that she would let me sleep in and I could just go to school late. When I was ready to go to school my mom told me I could drive. I drove to school on the same road we take every time we drive to school. It is a narrow and twisty road. I was doing well on it though. I rember before I spaced out was just thinking about the curves in the road and how I liked them, then that was it I had totally spaced out while driving. I got out of it and back into the real world before we crashed or some thing like that. My parents dont think it is safe for me to drive because I space out. I cant really control my spacing out. Has this ever happend to anyone else? And if so what have you done about it?

If you space out while driving, first you need to get checked out medically to make sure you don't have one of those conditions that cause you to sleep at random times; if you do, you probably shouldn't be driving or operating other dangerous machinery at all.

A more common cause of the sort of "spacing out" you describe is release of endorphins (body's own opiates) triggered by rhythmic vibration and sounds, sometimes the flashing of leaf-filtered sunlight. These are all conditions you are likely to encounter frequently while driving and unfortunately very snoozogenic. This is why long-distance drivers have such a hard time staying awake. To help avoid being affected by this, make sure you always have enough sleep before driving and are not hung over or otherwise drug-affected. Also make yourself hyper-aware of the things that are likely to set you off so that you condition yourself to be specially alert in the presence of these triggers. Good luck and enjoy!

I spaced out while driving once - during a driving lesson - I was first in a queue of cars waiting to go around an obstruction in the road. It was really busy and there was lots of pressure for me to start the car without stalling so as not to hold the queue up further. I seemed to be waiting for ages for the traffic lights to change so I could move, and I spaced out then. I stopped having lessons after that.
My psychiatrist thinks the medication I was on at the time caused me to space out. I was on sertaline.

I dont really know your definition of spacing out, but if you mean that your mind was preoccupied with something other than driving, thats quite common.

I have "lost" 30 seconds here, and 45 seconds there, and possibly 75 seconds aswell sometimes. I don't crash, and I don't drive any worse than I would have, but I just dont remember having driven the last couple of seconds(15-75 seconds). This might be a condition aswell, for all I know, but so far I have had no problems with it. I've been driving for 14 years without incidents.

Oh no, I'm never spacing out when I drive. I'm too nervous about crashing.

It definitely depends on what you mean by spacing out.

One of the classic examples of dissociation, THE classic example of common, harmless dissociation, is while driving. Basically, the conscious brain is doing one thing, not paying attention to the road, while some other part of the brain continues along with driving. One gets where one wants to go, but doesn't remember the trip (or part of the it). It's not dangerous. Well, other than, say, the danger of missing your turn if you aren't taking a familiar route.

I can't guarantee there aren't other varieties of "spacing out" that are, in fact dangerous. But I'm inclined to think that what you are describing isn't something to worry about.

Try always having the radio on, not so loud that it is distracting though. Helps me to focus, which can be a little bit of an issue while on the highway.

I hate driving, I damn near fall asleep every time I get behind the wheel. Still searching for a solution for that.

When I was younger, I used to space out a bit while driving, but I was quite aware most times that I was doing it. What you're describing sounds like you really weren't aware, so I'm not sure how helpful my comments can be.
In my case, I started staring in one spot instead of flicking my eyes around the road. I still had awareness of my peripheral vision, but I had a strong impulse to just space out rather than turn the wheel, or slow down, or speed up or whatever I was supposed to do. I wondered for a while if I was secretly suicidal, which really freaked me out, as I wasn't feeling like that at other times. But I couldn't think of any other reason why I would space out so dangerously while driving. I didn't know about AS at the time. I couldn't think of why I might be doing this. When I realised that spacing out and freezing like that was another AS symptom, I was terribly relieved. I can just snap out of it now, telling myself it's not an appropriate time.
As for falling asleep, I followed some advice from the sensory programme 'How does your Engine Run', and I found an activity that kept me alert. I suspect it also helps with spacing out. For some people music helps, for others conversation or talk radio, for me what helps keep me alert is eating, or drinking, especially eating. If I have a bar to munch, I'm much safer on the road. I don't think that's a blood sugar thing, it's sensory.

When I'm driving and the vehicle is moving, I'm almost always alert and aware, though I sometimes "dissociate" as mentioned above - I might be thinking about something else, but there's part of the brain that's taking care of staying in the lane, not following too close, etc, although I may then realize that I'm going slightly too fast or slow (usually the latter). I may "zone out" or get distracted while waiting for a red light, but it's not usually for very long

I space out regardless of what I am doing...so that is one reason I don't have a drivers liscense, I am afraid of spacing out while driving or getting triggered to have a panic attack or something, like if people are honking or I get too stressed or whatever.

I REALLY should not be driving. This happens to me often - spacing out. Sometimes I get home and am shocked because I don't really remember any details from the journey because I was daydreaming.

I often will stop at a green light...

Or stop and not do a right turn at a red light, and not realize I'm doing that until a passenger points it out or someone behind me honks.

I've had many meltdowns behind the wheel - I pull off the road... no idea how many punches my steering wheel has received.

I've been told I'm a scary person to drive with.

I get very angry at other drivers, often (every time I drive and there are other people on the road).

I have problems with sensory overload driving - I need to wear sunglasses, headphones - and I almost always am singing along with what's playing, because it helps me be less anxious.

Driving literally makes me anxious, every time I go to drive.

I don't want to drive - and I should not be allowed to - it should be illegal for me to drive - I feel like I'm a danger to myself and others on the road. I don't even think ANY human should drive - I can't wait until technology can replace the driver.

I have to pull over many, many times due to sensory issues, everything just being too much, etc. I try to avoid the busy times of day like the plague.

But I'm forced to drive, pretty much. I'd have very little independence without it - public transportation is essentially nonexistent where I live. It's much too huge of an area to bike - and I need to transport a -LOT- of heavy music gear, multiple times a week.

If I don't need to drive somewhere I will bike or walk or run. It took me until I was 22 (last October to be precise) to get a license - and that took a very long time of exposing myself to driving to be able to hold it together for the test - which I paid a private instructor to give me, on a cloudy day at a time of day where the roads were less busy - most of the test also took place on a military base, which is a much better, calmer place to drive than the city. Only thing that kept me going with learning was thinking about how much more independence I would have - I was tired of me not being able to drive removing so many opportunities from me.

I space out a lot during the day. It's one of the main reasons I am really nervous about learning how to drive. I'm afraid my mind will wander and I'll end up crashing or even worse, getting a ticket.

Even though it can be dangerous in and of it its self. It is far more dangerous for a beging driver. This is because you havent reinforced the habbits that keep a lot of people alive when they space out.
Just besure its not Petit Mal Seizure the term commonly given to a staring spell, most commonly called an "absence seizure." It is a brief (usually less than 15 seconds) disturbance of brain function due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain.

I would strongly recommend a device called mobileye. It is very expensive but worth it if you believe that you are at a considerable risk of a collision. (google search project pt cruise adding s class safety motor trend) I cannot speak from experience, but it seems to be a very good product... But the price!

What about spacing out while riding a motorcycle?