Hearing loss is a widespread challenge for older individuals, but does it warrant giving up driving? The response isn’t clear-cut, as driving habits differ among individuals.
Even if some adjustments have to be made to the radio volume, hearing loss shouldn’t mean a skilled driver has to stop driving.
Whether hearing loss poses a risk while driving is a critical consideration for people 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 ability to drive…yet. That day is coming, though, if you decide to just dismiss your decline.
Johns Hopkins Medicine has found there is a distinct relationship between hearing and brain health. Battling to hear forces your brain to use valuable resources just to understand what people are saying. It has a negative impact on cognition and can play a role in the onset of dementia. An individual suffering from dementia certainly can’t drive.
If you have hearing loss, can you still drive?
Driving requires good observational skills and some of that is auditory, but that doesn’t mean you can’t drive if you have hearing loss. Among the approximately 48 million Americans who suffer from hearing loss, the majority of them still drive according to the Center for Hearing Communication.
Driving with hearing loss
With a few adjustments, you can still continue to be safe on the road. Here are some tips.
Quit procrastinating
Visit us, get a hearing test, and think about how hearing aids can help things for you. Hearing aids can help eliminate the “should I be driving with hearing loss” question.
Be a more observant driver
You will still need to be observant about what’s happening around your vehicle even if you use hearing aids.
Keep the noise down inside your car
This will help you be less distracted. Ask your passengers to chat more quietly and keep the radio down or off.
Learn to look at your dashboard frequently
When you drive with hearing loss, the little things can add up. For instance, you won’t hear that clicking sound that lets you know that your turn signal is on. You will have to rely on your eyes to compensate, so get in the habit of scanning your dashboard to see what your car is trying to tell you.
Keep your vehicle well maintained
You may not hear that rattling noise under the hood now or the warning alarm alerting you to a problem with your engine or another crucial component. Get your car serviced regularly so you can avoid this major safety risk. That’s a smart idea for most individuals 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 watch for signs you may be missing something. If you see other cars pulling off the road, you should do that too because you might have missed the sirens. Look to see how other drivers are reacting to their surroundings to get hints on what you may not be hearing.
So is it possible to safely drive when you have hearing loss? It’s really a personal choice. Your other senses will normally adjust to help keep you safe, which means it is feasible to drive safely even if your hearing is beginning to go. If the thought of this makes you uneasy, though, then it’s time to come see us and find a solution to improve your situation, like wearing hearing aids.
Come in and let us help you better your quality of life by looking at the hearing solutions that will be suited to your unique hearing situation.
References
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-hidden-risks-of-hearing-loss
http://chchearing.org/facts-about-hearing-loss
