Driving in dreams represents control, direction, flexibility over choices that you make in your life.
An interesting component of dream driving is the idea of the present self being transported into the future. Sometimes these symbols give foreknowledge of an event, or a act as metaphors for what’s ahead of you.
Driving in your dream allows you to investigate if this direction will hold you back, whether you need to slow down, or whether you’re going in the right direction.
Even people who don’t or can’t drive in their waking lives may dream about driving. Why? If you think about it sometimes we fly planes or ride motorcycles in dreams without any experience, yet the symbolism still applies.
Driving Dream Meaning
Ultimately whatever happens while you are driving, or what kind of car you are in will determine if the outlook in the future is either positive or negative. In dreams, your car really is connected to your own freedom and flexibility. You may symbolically stop wherever you want, take any street, or adjust your speed.
A huge metaphor to consider is what driving really means to you. This could be a reference to your own “drive” in life and your desire to do things. Have your ambitions led you in a positive or negative direction lately?
The state of your dream drive may hold clues, but they’ll be easy to figure out. If your drive is bumpy, scary, or unpleasant, this indicates you need to make some changes. A smooth and pleasant drive lets you know you’re doing things the right way in your waking life.
Driving at night connects you towards the unconscious, feminine and yin energy; whereas the day belongs to your conscious awareness.
How Were You Driving?
Driving fast in your dream suggests quickness and speed when obtaining your goal. But the dreamer should be warned they might be going to fast in a particular area that might cause them to crash.
You are more likely to lose control going too fast. The speed might in fact mirror risky decisions or pushing yourself to dangerous limits.
To dream of driving for the first time reflects something new in your life that holds a lot of responsibility.
Dream of Driving with Someone
To dream of riding in a car with someone can suggest that you are not in control of your own drive, especially in your journey with this person. The meaning of this dream depends on what happens when you’re with them.
A positive dream revolving around being a passenger suggests you will get to the next destination with ease, but negative ones suggest you will face an issue or setback, but it wouldn’t effect your own movements drastically.
Did You Drive in Reverse?
If your dream drive is going backwards, this is a metaphor relating to going in the opposite direction in life. A dream that something is backwards might be hinting that you are trying to live in the past. The dreamer must reflect in what area in their lives they stopped and started moving in the opposite direction.
Symbols Related to Driving
Cars: It’s hard to mention driving without mentoring cars. The two necessarily go hand in hand. Dreams of cars carry their own meaning, whether they involve driving or not. The car is essentially an embodiment of the mind-body connection as it navigates towards its goals and destinations.
Depending where you live and work, you may spend a lot of time in your car. You may even rely on it to make a living. Driving is often associated with freedom and the ability to move freely. What condition is the car in your dream? Is it moving? Stalled? These are all messages your dream wants to communicate.
Roads: We naturally associate driving with roads, so make a note of any roads in your dream, too. Did you dream about navigating a dark, windy road or a straight, newly-paved one? The road conditions indicate how your drive will be a dream or a nightmare.
Wheels: The wheel is a powerful dream symbol with spiritual meanings correlated to circles, the sun, and several religious archetypes. Driving requires using a steering wheel, but did you notice any others? Cars ride on four wheels, but maybe you were driving a motorcycle and had only two.
Keys: Dreams about driving may also be dreams about keys. You may even dream that you want or need to drive, but can’t find your keys and never end up going anywhere. Keys symbolize the future and add a deeper meaning to this aspect of driving symbolism.
Vehicles: Just because you were driving, doesn’t mean you were driving a car! You may dream of busses, trucks, or other large wheeled vehicles. You might even drive a train in a dream or some other kind of vehicle.
Common Themes in Driving Dreams
- Driving off of a bridge, cliff, or into water
- The dreamer is known to drive a new car or a high powered sports car
- Noticing the car going to fast or being out of control
- The car goes in reverse
- Sometimes we are going up or down a steep hill
- Being unable to use the brakes
- Driving a black, red, or white car
- You are driving for the first time
- The car is driving without your interaction – almost like autopilot
Did You Drive off the Road?
Driving off of the road becomes a negative dream theme that results in a loss of direction, movement, obstacles, or personal freedom.
How the road presents itself or the location becomes helpful a helpful clue in what area in your life is point at. The dream becomes a warning to help you get back on the right track.
To dream of driving off of a bridge represents a failure bridging two aspects together, as well as re-establishing relationships in our waking lives. Bridge are symbolic in the sense they are able to advance us from the old ways and habits to a higher connection or new path. Something has caused you to veer off course. Was that you or something else?
If you had a dream about driving off of a mountain, it represents a failure in your upward progression to reach a particular goal. Mountains emerge during struggles or difficult times, but once accomplished the dreamer is rewarded.
Driving and hills are great symbols that point towards your minor challenges and obstacles we face in our lives. By going down the hill you may have completed this task but your dream seems to hint at carelessness, danger, and control issues before things settle down.
Driving off of land into water in a dream shows a focus on your unconscious state of mind.
Water in dreams is synonymous with the dreamers emotions. The dreamer has lost grounding and direction in life and now the dream warns about avoiding drowning. Driving in water is a common theme that encourages the dreamer to stay focused and not lose sight of their path.
Are you driving a new or sports car?
To dream of driving a new car is a positive symbol that suggest new change that will benefit you in your life. You may have gotten rid of your old ways (drive) that no longer serves a purpose to you.
To drive a sports car in your dream is a positive symbol that represents new power, vitality, life force, success and the speed it will take you there.
Driving a red sports car in your dream connects to your passions, vigor, energy, love and courage. Dreaming a white sports car in your dream represents the powerful force of your inner drive mixed with your innocence.
Breaks not working?
A common dream when we are driving is when you slam down on the breaks but it is not working. This has happened to me many times and it seems to relate to a loss of control or unable to control the outcome to our destiny.
The car breaks become metaphors that help us stop before we crash into something. In dreams when we crash our cars it becomes a symbol of a major inconvenience and setback. Without breaks it implies you will feel anxiety connected to this area in your life. The location and people around you when you cannot stop your car become clues in what to look out for.
Driving Dreams and the Future
Can driving in dreams predict the future? Driving dreams might predict future events because there is no better symbol than what could possibly manifest later down the road for you.
For example, a car shut down in the dream it might hint at some sort of halt in their progress.
If the theme remains unconscious to you it still doesn’t classify as a “precognitive dream” just yet, but something you could be avoiding.
The few cases when driving in dreams predict the future usually tends to be more vivid and meaningful. These dreams help you look out for unexpected danger, warnings to avoid people or situations, and advancements or personal growth.
Spiritual Meaning of Driving Dreams
We mentioned that “driving” may be a play on words or a metaphor for your own “drive” in life. Driving may take on another meaning when interpreted spiritually as well.
The Bible uses the word drive as a verb, meaning to cast out or drive something off. Mark 16:17, Luke 9:1, Matthew 7:22, and several other verses mention Jesus “driving out” demons. Other verses like Proverbs 22:15 focus on driving away bad habits and being disciplined.
Do you have demons, either figurative or literal, that you need to “drive out” of yourself? Your dream could have a deeper meaning to alert you to look at yourself if you’re a more spiritual person and understand scripture.
In my dream I can’t reach the view, it goes to a different direction, but I always stop it before I crash.
I had a dream that I was driving around with the Mayor of my city in my first car which was a vintage BMW and I had limited gas. We were on some sort of mission and stopped at some not for profits and picked up some things so we could donate them or something. This dream lasted a long time and it was literally me driving the Mayor around and trying to accomplish something necessary. My only concern and stress was running out of gas and the fact that he kept trying to get me to pack up my… Read more »
I have reoccurring dreams of driving to and from places that don’t exist but only in my mind. But they are always connected to a place that exists. Usually it’s me driving 3 hours from a snowy notation location in the mountains back to Lansing Mi, another is I’m driving to a town connected to Lansing mi around 45-50 min out and it’s a carny town type thing.
I dreamed I was on a date, and I was a passenger. We stopped for gas and my date opened the hood and the cars engine fell out. My date was troubled but mostly unbothered and we went to dinner and then dancing.
I had a dream I was driving up hill and I had no breaks I was able to co tell it but I stopped on the side of the read to let my older son and husband out to go to the bathroom. I moved from the drivers seat in to the passenger seat next thing I knew my 12 year old has jumped in the drivers seat and started driving leaving my son and husband at the restroom and still driving with no breaks I had to pull the emergency break to get the car to stop because there… Read more »
My driving dreams almost always have me driving through a house or building. Not crashing, just driving like it’s perfectly natural. Especially my motorcycle .
I dreamed that my brother drove us out of a place (unsure if it was just inside or underground) We rode along concrete stairs that were very strange, almost like that optical illusion painting. After a while of following this path he sped up and we ended up going off the side of it. I don’t get the feeling that we were injured but i don’t have any recollection of what happened after.
I dreamed that I was sleepy while driving and forced myself to stay awake. First time while driving a car, I was entering a road, and again after attending a function, I was driving the police motorcycle. They saw me but did not pursue me for driving their cycle. In both instances (same dream) I wanted to get off the road because of the sleepiness.
Thanks for any insight about this dream. I have an idea what it means but I’d like some confirmation. I’m driving a car and holding a baby. I’m breastfeeding this baby. It’s a beautiful experience. I pull up at the traffic lights and look to my right and I see a group of police standing at the corner. One looks at me and sees me breastfeeding the baby and smiles. I smile back. Then he realises that I can’t drive and breastfeed a baby. I know that I should pull over because it’s dangerous and illegal. I pull over but… Read more »
Sounds like you’re juggling too much, but afraid that you can’t ask or maybe get help.
MY DREAM WAS DRIVING MY SONS NEW WHITE MUSTANG BUT, I FLIPPED OVER 3 TIMES. I WAS OK BUT WORRIED ABOUT WHAT MY SON WILL THINK.
I had a dream where I couldn’t use the breaks but found a safe alternate route. But then when I was looking out the front window I was seeing the back and when I was looking out the back I could see the road ahead of me.
Hi. I had a dream of driving an older red car with a good friend, she drove shortly only when I couldn’t manage the passage and later we appeared on a dust road in repair that was a different direction than we were supposed to go as if I got very accidently lost, but following the usual road to the destination.. right now I feel attracted to someone who I don’t know well yet, can it mean anything? Thank you