Driving responsibly is important. How much do you rely on hearing when you are driving? Quite a lot. Hearing whilst driving influences different aspects of your quality of driving. You may not realise how much hearing loss can affect your driving. Don’t let that turn you into a dangerous driver. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving claimed almost 3,500 lives in 2016 and injured more than 390,000 people in 2015. Driving you round the bend If you have a parent, spouse or loved one who is losing their hearing it may be driving you nuts. Constantly repeating what you are saying, raising your voice or other stress creating situations. If you are all going somewhere together by car you may notice the car radio is too loud, or near misses with other cars or not pulling aside to let an ambulance or police car pass on their way to an emergency. Don’t ignore these warning signs. Remind the driver that their safety and yours is at stake. Hearing aids driving Better hearing means safer driving. For you, your passengers and other people on the road. When you buy your new hearing aid it will improve your quality of life, and your quality of driving too. When you buy a new car you need to use it, maintain it and clean it. It’s the same for your hearing aids. Distractions everywhere can be off-putting. Think of how sounds influence you whilst you are driving.
- You may like to listen to music or want to hear a traffic or weather report. Keep the volume low so that you can concentrate on other noises around you
- Your car window can be rolled up to minimize road noise, or down to hear outside sounds better and enjoy the breeze whilst you are on your way to your destination
- Other passengers may keep you entertained with good conversation. Then there are back-seat drivers who continually tell you which way to turn whilst en route