# Are there any damaging long term effects of not being able to drive? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 16, 2014, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648 "2014-09-16T13:28:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4bbf92/32.png) [@Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Hamsandwich)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648/1 "2014-09-16T13:28:22Z")
I tried to Google this question and came up short on any research done on this. I’m looking for any studies done that correlate what the psychological side effects are when you are not able to drive a vehicle for long periods of time. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648/2 "2014-09-16T13:32:02Z")
Humans evolved without driving. How could there be any effects? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648/3 "2014-09-16T13:32:35Z")
:dubious: Well, a little over a century ago nobody drove motor vehicles ever. They mostly seemed to stay sane. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648/4 "2014-09-16T13:34:18Z")
You can’t be serious. Right now most of the people on the planet don’t have the opportunity to drive. Maybe you can find something about the effects of being denied the ability to participate in common cultural activities, but why would driving be unique in that regard? ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4bbf92/32.png) [@Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Hamsandwich)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648/5 "2014-09-16T13:35:26Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > :dubious: Well, a little over a century ago nobody drove motor vehicles ever. They mostly seemed to stay sane. I would agree, but, has the car become so ubiquitous to modern life that our ways of thinking about it has changed? ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4bbf92/32.png) [@Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Hamsandwich)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648/6 "2014-09-16T13:38:47Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > You can’t be serious. Right now most of the people on the planet don’t have the opportunity to drive. Maybe you can find something about the effects of being denied the ability to participate in common cultural activities, but why would driving be unique in that regard? I realize that most people on the planet don’t have the opportunity to drive. But, have they ever had the opportunity to drive? Were cars ever a part of their culture? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648/7 "2014-09-16T13:44:39Z")
> [@Darth\_Hamsandwich](#): > > I realize that most people on the planet don’t have the opportunity to drive. But, have they ever had the opportunity to drive? Were cars ever a part of their culture? Why would the inability to drive be different from the denial of other opportunities in this country? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648/8 "2014-09-16T13:46:20Z")
I don’t drive and the only psychological damage is the social factor. And if I cared enough I’d drive. ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648/9 "2014-09-16T13:53:06Z")
> [@Darth\_Hamsandwich](#): > > I realize that most people on the planet don’t have the opportunity to drive. But, have they ever had the opportunity to drive? Were cars ever a part of their culture? There are millions of residents of major first-world cities who never drive, and in many cases may not have felt it necessary to learn how. They are no doubt all aware of the existence of cars – and may take taxis frequently – but choose not to drive or deal with the downsides of car ownership. The USA is an outlier in global automobile dependency, but even in the US there are cities like New York and San Francisco where many residents do not drive. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648/10 "2014-09-16T14:01:27Z")
What bugs me is that driving is a dependency but drivers act like it’s a virtue and those who don’t drive are somehow less in some way. Which makes it a dependency. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648/11 "2014-09-16T14:25:45Z")
I think y’all are being unnecessarily harsh on the OP; it’s a legitimate question. For someone who is used to being able to drive, not being able to can make a big difference in their lives. It means they can’t get around as much, can’t go to as many places as they used to be able to, and/or they have to depend on other people more. I’m thinking of situations like older people who are no longer able to drive, people who lose their license due to a DUI, or people who can’t afford to own a vehicle due to their financial circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![sbunny8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@sbunny8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sbunny8)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648/12 "2014-09-16T14:42:15Z")
How about the psychological effect of being told “We previously trusted you with a 2-ton metal monster but now we’ve decided you can’t be trusted anymore because you’re getting old.” That’s gotta be a tough pill to swallow. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648/13 "2014-09-16T14:50:56Z")
I can’t cite a study, but anecdotally, I stopped driving six years ago, due to vision issues. It has done wonders for my mental health and feeling of contentment. I no longer fear the police state. I am no longer required to carry any kind of ID with me at any time, unless one of my errands specifically requires it. I no longer need to think about the police arbitrarily detaining me while they examine my papers and try to trump up reasons to conduct a search of my person or my property. I no longer need to buy a piece of paper for $800 a year from the private sector to legitimize my right to drive. I am no longer subject to fines of hundreds of dollars for getting caught on a traffic camera for some trivial offense. I have a right to go where I please, without begging for the privilege. The encroaching enemy is being held at bay from my now-peaceful life. It is amazing what a refreshing sense of freedom and well-being one has when one doesn’t drive a car. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648/14 "2014-09-16T14:52:55Z")
> [@sbunny8](#): > > How about the psychological effect of being told “We previously trusted you with a 2-ton metal monster but now we’ve decided you can’t be trusted anymore because you’re getting old.” That’s gotta be a tough pill to swallow. More of a general sense of loss of independence than the “right” to drive itself. Along with it you often have changes in housing/living/lifestyle and it all becomes somewhat of a jumble. I’m sure it plays a part in that its a “reverse benchmark” - literally the mirror image of when you turned 16 (or 15) and got your license - and a prime sign of things to come but I am not aware of any studies singling that one aspect out of the general equation of “aging depression”. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648/15 "2014-09-16T15:12:23Z")
A friend’s cousin chose to never learn to drive. She relied on friends and relatives to haul her around. It’s been years since I’ve run into her; the last time there was some drama when she wanted to leave a party, forcing her cousin to leave before she desired. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648/16 "2014-09-16T15:19:25Z")
If you live in a society where not being able to drive leads to a signficant degree of social exclusion then, yes, not being able to drive could have a material impact on your emotional and even mental well-being. But of course it’s the social exclusion that is having this effect, not the inablity to drive. As the OP points out, millions of Americans do not drive, and do not apparently suffer psychological damage as a result. If you lived in a highly racist society in which being black led to a high degree of social exclusion, would you be thinking of this problem in terms of the psychological effects of being black? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648/17 "2014-09-16T15:20:40Z")
I can drive and have a license, but have not driven since 1988. I live in San Francisco, and only very rarely feel that I am missing out on something because I don’t drive. I’m not sure what kind of psychological effects you think being unable to drive would cause. I suppose isolation might be a problem depending on where you live, but I am able to work, participate in social activities, travel via public transportation, and do almost anything I would do if I were driving. I do think that the Internet and the option to have almost anything you like delivered has been a positive change. I used to take a taxi if I was purchasing something really heavy or bulky (my microwave, for example), but I haven’t had to do that in years. Interestingly, when I traveled to Scotland, guidebooks said that I wouldn’t be able to get around without driving, so I scheduled a bus tour. Once I got there, I realized that there was accessible public transportation if you planned correctly, so I ditched the bus tour and traveled on the West Highland Railway. It was one of the highlights of my trip and something that I still remember very fondly. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648/18 "2014-09-16T15:37:04Z")
I will ask my girlfriend and report back to you. She has her license suspended more than she has it not suspended, usually in periods from 1 to 3 years at a time. She doesn’t seem to be any crazier than usual. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648/19 "2014-09-16T15:53:17Z")
Are you thinking about people who have never driven or drivers who are now not able or allowed to drive? I’ve **never** driven (I have ridden both a camel and an elephant though. ;)) It doesn’t seem to have affected me, since: - I’ve visited over 14 countries - I live in a small country town - I was financially able to retire aged 55 ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648/20 "2014-09-16T17:22:09Z")
Aliens from outer space need to know! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-damaging-long-term-effects-of-not-being-able-to-drive/698648.md?page=2)