It can be daunting to think that you need to drive with a hearing loss. Obviously, we can all agree that sight is the most important sense for driving but I think you’d be surprised if you stop and think about how much you really rely on your hearing.
Your hearing helps you to detect emergency services approaching even before you can see them, allows you to identify the horn of an impatient driver and ensures you can hear a motorbike coming up behind you before you can catch sight of it in your mirror. We must be very clear here and say that hearing loss does not have a significant impact on your ability to drive, but I think it’s clear to see that you should be prepared and take extra precautions if you do have a hearing loss.
As always, we advise anyone who believes they have a hearing loss to seek the advice and treatment from a hearing healthcare professional. They will be able to test your hearing and identify the severity of your hearing loss meaning they can prescribe the best hearing aids for your hearing loss. If you begin to wear hearing aids, these will then amplify the important sounds you hear while on the road so that your brain can interpret the sounds correctly. Hearing loss may change over time and so it is important that you have regular check ups to ensure that your hearing aids are set for the correct hearing loss.
Luckily, the hearing aids of today are amazing pieces of technology with sensitive microphones that will really help any driver who does have a hearing loss. We have also created a few tips for you to follow if you are concerned about your hearing while driving:
1. Have the radio volume on low and ensure you set the volume before you set off so you are not distracted by any dials or buttons.
2. If you have passengers, try to keep the conversation to a minimum and don’t talk too loudly as this can be very distracting.
3. Keep the car window closed if possible.
4. Don’t make calls – even using hands-free calling can be dangerous and can be very distracting.
Whether you have a hearing loss or not, driving does come with a lot of responsibilities and it is important that you regularly have your sight and hearing tested to ensure that you are safe to drive.