Brief report: examining driving behavior in young adults with high functioning autism spectrum disorders: a pilot study using a driving simulation paradigm.

Reimer et al. (2013) put young adults with high-functioning autism in a driving simulator.

They added a mental math task to mimic real-world distractions.

Heart rate and eye-tracking gear measured stress and where drivers looked.

Drivers with autism kept their heart rate high throughout the drive.

They also looked away from the road center more often than peers.

Still, steering and speed stayed about the same, so the overall result was mixed.

Anthony et al. (2020) later added on-road drives and saw more errors and anxiety in new drivers with ASD.

Eussen et al. (2016) showed that a working-memory task alone can tank simulator scores, giving a reason for the extra stress.

Sawyer et al. (2014) looked at licensed adults and found more real tickets and crashes, which seems to clash with the mild simulator results.

The gap is about setting: Bryan’s lab ride was short and safe; P et al. surveyed people who actually drive every day.

If you coach teens or adults learning to drive, watch how they handle divided attention.

Start with quiet streets, then add radio, GPS, or passenger talk once the first skill is solid.

Track heart rate or ask about chest tightness; high steady stress predicts overload and may warrant anxiety treatment before on-road lessons.