Some of you may not know this, because you're awesome and drive stick shift, but driving a car with a manual transmission is a bit of a lost art.

More and more cars on the road are driven by people that don't even know what a clutch is.

And I get it - kind of. Figuring out the exact time when to let go of the clutch after shifting, it's pretty complicated stuff.

I mean, who doesn't want to feel that rush when you release the clutch and - for a brief second - are completely in tune with your machine?

It's an experience like no other!

Luckily, there are certain individuals that this amazing mind-meld between man and machine could actually save their lives.

Those with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

For many people with ADHD, they are unable to drive due to the condition.

ADHD drivers are 4x more likely to have an accident PATRICIA QUINN, M.D. (1)

According to one redditor, he made a confession to his doctor:

"I had to confess that occasionally I have caught my mind wandering, only to catch myself just in time to brake before hitting a curb, running a red light, etc." (2)

But fortunately for this redditor, and others with the condition, the Journal of Attention Disorders published a study that found people with ADHD were

~50% less likely to be in an accident if they drove a vehicle with a Stick

The theory(3) is that those with ADHD constantly need some sort of stimulus.

Driving familiar routes, or a long trip, drivers can experience "auto-pilot" and people with ADHD can lose focus, causing them to drift.

However, with driving a manual transmission, more of your brain is constantly focused.

The changing of the gears, the revving of the engine, the precise timing and feel for the clutch, it's a truly involved experience and the driver needs to be in the moment.

According to the redditor, their doctor actually prescribed to buy a car with a manual transmission and now they're looking to do so.

Meanwhile, when they do drive, they use the "auto-manual" feature, and even their girlfriend confirmed that their driving improved.

While I am no doctor, and can't say for 100% fact that if you have ADHD you'll be safe driving a manual car, I am happy to hear that this is possible.

For more details on the study, I've linked to the sources below.

If you know someone that suffers from this condition, do them a favor and share this article.

Save The Manuals Shirt NOw Available

Click here to buy yours >> bit.ly/2txceDX

Other Approaches for ADHD Drivers:

- Take ADHD medication before you drive (this is also shown to reduce accidents/traffic violations in ADHD sufferers by an additional 50%)

- Don’t text and drive (that goes for everyone)

- Have background noise on to satiate the brain’s need for additional stimulus (podcasts, non-verbal music, etc.)

- Ask someone else to drive you.



Source 1:

www.additudemag.com/distracted-driving-safety-tips-adhd/

Source 2: www.reddit.com/r/cars/comments/3zvsi1/my_doctor_prescribed_me_to_buy_a_car_with_a/

Source 3:

journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1087054706288103