Hearing loss a common challenge for older individuals, and but it warrant giving up driving? The response isn’t straightforward, as driving habits vary among individuals.
While hearing loss is a factor to consider when operating a vehicle, a skilled driver remains proficient even if they need to adjust the radio volume.
Whether hearing loss poses a risk while driving is a crucial consideration for those planning daily commutes or winter road trips. Is your hearing loss making you a dangerous driver?
Think beyond driving…
If you are noticing hearing loss, it won’t have a huge impact on your driving ability…yet. That day is coming, though, if you decide to just ignore your decline.
Johns Hopkins Medicine reports there is a distinct connection between hearing and brain health. Struggling to hear forces the brain to use valuable resources just to understand what people are saying. It is a contributing factor to brain atrophy, which leads to dementia. A person suffering from dementia certainly can’t drive.
Should you drive with hearing loss?
Driving requires strong observational skills and some of that is auditory, but that doesn’t mean you can’t drive with hearing loss. The Center for Hearing and Communication estimates about 48 million Americans have significant hearing loss, and a good portion of them still drive.
Tips for driving if you have hearing loss
Stop procrastinating
See a hearing specialist, get a hearing test, and consider how hearing aids can change things for you.
Hearing aids can help eliminate the “should I be driving with hearing loss” question.
Be a more observant driver
Even with hearing aids, you will still need to be a more observant driver to ensure you’re not missing anything in or surrounding your vehicle.
Keep the noise down inside your car
This will allow you to focus your listening on driving without distractions. Turn the radio off and ask your passengers to keep the chatter to a minimum.
Learn to check your dashboard often
It’s the little things that will add up when you drive with hearing loss. For example, you will no longer hear that clicking noise that tells you that your turn signal is on. You will have to rely on your eyes to pick up the slack, so get in the habit of scanning your dashboard to see what your car is trying to tell you.
Make maintenance a priority
You may not hear that rattling noise under the hood anymore or the warning bell telling you there is a problem with your engine or another critical component. That is a major safety hazard, so make a point of having your car serviced routinely. That’s a good idea for most people but a necessity if you are driving with hearing loss.
Watch the other cars closely
Of course, you would do that anyway, but you want to look for signs you might be missing something. You may not hear emergency sirens, for instance, so if the cars pulling over to the side, you should too. Look to see how other drivers are responding to their surroundings to get clues on what you might not be hearing.
Can you drive with hearing loss? That’s up to you. It is possible to be a good driver even if your hearing is not what it used to be because odds are your other senses will help you make the adjustment. If the idea makes you nervous, though, then it’s time to see a hearing specialist and find a solution to improve your situation, like wearing hearing aids.
Find a hearing specialist near you to schedule a hearing test and explore hearing aid options.
