The ADHD Driver’s Toolkit
In May 2025, the NHS estimated that nearly 2.5 million people in the UK, including many who haven’t yet been formally diagnosed, may be living with ADHD [1]. While everyone’s experience is unique, ADHD can sometimes affect things like focus, planning, and making quick decisions — all of which can play a part in how we drive.
Whether you’re someone who has been driving for decades, or a new learner, ADHD can have an impact on how we respond to different driving scenarios. So, to help make life a little easier, we’ve teamed up with Applied Psychology Professor, David Daley, to create the ADHD Driver’s Toolkit.
Of course, everyone’s experience is unique, but this practical guide aims to explore why driving might feel different for people with ADHD, and offers tips on how to manage common challenges and triggers. It also pulls out the key car features that can make a difference and recommends a few models that might be right for you.
[1] Source: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mi-adhd/may-2025
Managing your ADHD when driving
Managing mental overload
A brain with ADHD can feel overwhelmed when faced with a task that requires intense effort. This applies whether you are a new learner practicing manoeuvres or an experienced driver navigating a complex, high-pressure route. Here are some tools that can help to reduce the mental load:
The single-focus rule
- When tackling a new skill or a particularly complex part of a journey—like navigating a difficult intersection, parallel parking, or merging onto a busy motorway—slow everything down and focus on only one core element at a time.
- For learners: Tell your instructor, "I need to focus on lane positioning only right now, not speed changes."
- For experienced drivers: When merging, focus solely on the speed and gap assessment first, and then worry about the mirror checks and signal placement.
The goal here is to break down tasks and reduce the mental effort they need by making them automatic habits one by one.
Master the 'pause and repeat'
- Your working memory (the mental notepad that holds instructions) has a limited capacity. Instructions, whether from a person or GPS, can be forgotten if given too early or in a series.
- Ask for "Just-in-time" directions (with a passenger/instructor): If your instructor or passenger gives you a turn instruction too early, politely ask them to repeat it when you are closer to the turn.
- Acknowledge and repeat (solo/GPS driving): When the sat nav announces a turn, immediately say the turn back out loud ("Right turn onto Elm Street"). If the sat nav gives a series of turns, do not attempt to remember them all. Only focus on the very next one, and let the sat nav guide you to that point before processing the next instruction.
Attention and impulse control strategies
ADHD often means a struggle with paying attention (hypo-attention) or paying too much attention (hyper-attention), alongside difficulty pausing before acting (impulsivity).
Activate your focus with commentary driving
- Mind wandering is one of the biggest risks for ADHD drivers. Your thoughts can drift away from the road and impact hazard perception. Commentary driving is a technique used to focus your attention on your immediate driving by describing what you’re doing and seeing out loud. This reinforces your concentration and ensures you’re spotting different changes on the road. For example, “"The pedestrian on the left looks like they might step out."
The amber light rule
- ADHD affects your ability to control impulsive impulses. In traffic, this can lead to an automatic reaction to accelerate when you see the amber light. To control this, create a mandatory mental stop sign. Train yourself to interpret the amber light not as a warning to speed up, but as a signal to prepare you to stop. When you see amber, your immediate physical reaction should be to lift your foot and move it closer to the brake pedal.
Recognise and break fixation
- ADHD can cause you to fixate on a single detail - a road sign for example - and block everything else out. If you find yourself doing this, it’s important to pull over as soon as possible. Take a beat, address the fixation, and reset your attention before continuing.
Environment and emotional regulation
Again, it depends on the person, but ADHD can make a busy environment - such as a busy car or a tricky driving scenario - difficult to cope with.
Eliminate distractions before starting
- If you struggle with hypo-attention (low focus), you need a sterile driving environment. Treat your car like an office where you need deep concentration.
- Silence the phone: Turn your phone completely off or put it in a specific, designated spot where you cannot see it or reach it.
- Turn down the noise: Turn the radio, podcasts, or music off, especially during lessons, complex routes, or heavy traffic. Your brain needs all its resources for the road.
The 10-breath cooldown
- It’s common for drivers with ADHD to struggle with emotion regulation, feeling intense frustration or anger at the behaviour of other drivers.
- Proactive self-check: Assess your mood before you start the engine. If you are already stressed or irritated, postpone the drive if possible, or accept that you will need to be extra vigilant.
- Mid-drive intervention: If another driver makes you angry, your ability to focus and react safely is compromised. Pull over safely. Take 10 slow, deep breaths to calm your nervous system before you start driving again. Other drivers are not worth risking your safety.
Build confidence through consistency
- Planning and adapting to new routes can be difficult, especially if you’re a new driver. You can build skills by making the environment predictable.
- Repeat routes: If you are nervous about a new area, drive the same route several times until it feels completely familiar. Only then introduce small variations.
- Avoid triggers: Identify what makes driving hard (e.g., heavy rain, evening light, rush hour). Until you are confident, schedule your drives to avoid those triggers. Start your lessons during quieter times of day or in less congested areas.
First-hand tips:
Alongside Professor David Daley’s tips, neurodiverse influencers Mr G and Ellie Middleton share their top five tips on how they cope with ADHD while driving.
Mr G
- Identify potential anger triggers when driving - have a solution such as deep breathing on hand.
- Minimise distractions - keep your phone out of sight and mind, perhaps by keeping it in your pocket or a tucked-away bag.
- Stay aware of noise - sometimes loud music can be overstimulating and can decrease focus. I often turn off my radio completely during congested periods or when I feel I need additional concentration.
- Long journey management - ensure you schedule a movement break to support your regulation when driving on a long journey.
- Be aware of autopilot - Have you ever been driving and suddenly thought “how did I get here?” During repetitive journeys - such as traveling to work - make sure you’re aware of hazards as you’re more likely to go into autopilot and lose concentration.
Ellie Middleton
- Put an airtag or tracker on your keys so you can always find them - this way you won’t spend 10 minutes rummaging around trying to find them when you should already be out the door.
- Put your phone on ‘do not disturb’ and inside your bag whenever you’re in the car - You don’t want a notification popping up and playing on your mind if it’s sat face up on the passenger seat, so it’s best to have it out of sight and out of reach.
- Always have sat nav/google maps on, even if it's a route you already know - This will let you know if there’s traffic or roadworks and make sure you’re always on the quickest route, which should stop you from rushing.
- Always check the sat nav/google maps before you set off and allow for at least 15 minutes extra time - Maps doesn’t take into account the time it takes you to walk from your door to your car, or find a parking space, or walk from the car park to the place you need to be. You need to take into account those things or else you’re going to be either rushing or late.
- Set up a specific album or playlist for your music before you get in the car - I love listening to my music loud and singing even louder to keep myself focused. If you’re messing around skipping songs or searching for a song, however, it’s a potentially dangerous distraction. Having a playlist prepped where every single song is a play and not a skip will make sure your focus is where it should be – on the road!
What should someone with ADHD look for in a car?
As well as using the tips above to spot and manage the effects of your ADHD, it’s worth having a think about how your car can best suit your needs. By recognising what your own personal triggers are and how they relate to certain car features, you can improve your driving experience.
Cars with a manual gearbox
Many people with ADHD consider driving a manual to be beneficial as it keeps them engaged and focused when driving. While they’re getting rarer to buy new, these are some great second-hand cars with engaging manual gearboxes:
- Mazda MX-5 – Known for its great sporty gearbox and engaging driving feel
- Suzuki Swift – This small car is known for its simplicity. It has a good old-fashioned manual gearbox, and few distractions inside.
- Ford Focus – This model has long been known as the keen driver’s hatchback - with a great manual gearbox, this is a great option.
Cars with an automatic gearbox
You might also find that an automatic works best for your ADHD, allowing you to focus on the road while the gearbox does its thing. These options are smooth and simple, keeping you and your passengers happy and comfortable.
- Toyota Yaris – These all come as automatic hybrids, making them a great starting point in your search
- BMW 3 Series – This has a smooth, responsive automatic gearbox, but the car is also engaging to drive.
- MG3 – Even though its 3-speed automatic gearbox might seem a bit old fashioned on paper, this model’s hybrid setup means the wheels are driven by an electric motor - keeping things very smooth.
Cars with less distracting infotainment
Keeping distractions to a minimum in the driver’s seat can be particularly important for those with ADHD. It’s important to keep a good balance of physical controls with plenty of feedback, as well as touchscreen-based controls, so you can keep your eyes on the road. These brands have some great options:
- Skoda – Skoda’s latest infotainment systems are very responsive and easy to use , so you don’t have to take your eyes off the road for too long. Their latest Kodiaq and Superb models have the ‘Smart Dials’ which allow you to turn a physical dial for things like temperature and volume controls, which can be toggled quickly with a press, making it intuitive to use.
- Mazda – Mazda's infotainment system uses a rotary dial and button that mean you're not prodding the touchscreen when you’re on the move. The screen itself sits high on the dash near your line of sight, so you don't have to take your eyes off the road.
- BMW – many BMWs come with both a touchscreen as well as a rotary dial so you can choose how you prefer to use the infotainment. The screen is responsive and requires few inputs to access things, making it more intuitive to use.
Putting the tips to practice
If you’re someone with ADHD who feels they need a bit of a refresher - for example if you’ve been diagnosed since learning to drive - or you’re a learner who wants a bit of extra preparation, you’re in luck. We’ve worked with the award winning PSM driving school to provide specific, to-up driving lessons for those with ADHD.
The hour-long lessons will cover everything you need to know about how your ADHD could affect your driving, and how to manage your triggers to ensure a safer and more comfortable driving experience.
Book your slot HERE by quoting the code CAZOOLEARN either when filling out the online form or over the phone - times and locations subject to availability
Cazoo is partnering with PSM Driving School to provide free refresher lessons for individuals with ADHD. These lessons are provided directly by PSM. Cazoo is not responsible for the content, quality or delivery of the lessons, and does not assume any liability for outcomes, safety or experiences during the lessons. Participants engage with PSM at their own discretion.