Work with your audiologist and take these steps to stay safe
behind the wheel
by Selene Yeager, AARP, April 15, 2019
En español | A third of people over age
65 have some degree of hearing loss — a percentage that doubles among those 75
and older. Yet the average person who notices problems with their hearing waits
about seven years before seeking help, and only a fraction of people who could
benefit from hearing aids actually use them. That means there's a whole lot of
drivers with hearing impairments out on the road.
It's not illegal to
drive with hearing loss (though some states have
specific vehicle requirements for people who are hearing impaired), but that
doesn't make it safe. A study published in the Journal of the American
Geriatrics Society reported that older adults with hearing loss were
less proficient in driving tests when faced with distractions than their peers
with no hearing impairments — suggesting that the additional effort needed to
hear was making it more challenging to focus on all of the tasks needed to
navigate the road.
"Hearing loss can
be more mentally fatiguing than people realize,” says Stefanie Wolf, an
audiologist with Audiology of Nassau County, Rockville Centre, N.Y. “If you're
trying to be a safe driver and it's taking extra attention to hear signals and
your surroundings, it can put you and other people on the road at risk."
And you might not even
realize the severity of the problem, Wolf says. “Hearing loss usually sneaks up
on people very, very slowly, and one doesn't know what one does not hear.”
That's why she recommends everyone 55 and older have a baseline hearing evaluation, then
regular checkups.
If your hearing is
impaired, you'll want to take these steps to be a safer driver:
Work with an audiologist. Many of us know people who have hearing aids
they never use because they found them more annoying or distracting than their
hearing loss. Hearing-aid technology has improved enormously, but there's still
a learning and adaptation curve when you first get the devices, Wolf says.
“Without the appropriate follow-up care and procedures, people have very little
success with hearing aids. It takes time to learn how to use and fine-tune
them. A doctor can help with the proper procedures."
Have your vision checked. When one sense is diminished, the others
pick up the slack, and vision is your most important sense behind the wheel,
says Bill Van Tassel, AAA manager of Driver Training Programs. “If your hearing
is going, make sure your vision is as sharp as possible while you're
driving."
Expand your fields of view. Because you're relying more on your
eyes, you want to be able to take in as much visual information as possible. A
clip-on, wide-angle rearview mirror can help you see more of and process your
surroundings. Some states, such as New York, require drivers who report hearing
impairment to use a larger full-view rearview mirror.
Reduce the noise. The more auditory distractions you have, the
harder it will be to pick up the sounds you need to hear for safe driving. Keep
the windows closed and lower the volume on the radio to help you concentrate.
If you have hearing aids, you may be able to program them to use directional
microphones or use a remote microphone accessory to hear the passengers in your
car without needing them to speak loudly.
Minimize distractions. This is important for everyone, regardless of
how well they can hear, and it's even more essential if your hearing is
diminished. Keep phone use to an absolute minimum. If you must talk to someone
while you're behind the wheel, hearing aids with Bluetooth technology that sync to
your phone make it easier and safer to take a call.
Make your navigation tool easier to follow. We all rely on GPS navigation these days. If
you have Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids, sync them to your device for
turn-by-turn directions that are easier to hear. Place the GPS device or phone
on a dashboard holder where you can easily see it without looking down, or
consider one of the Heads Up Display (HUD) apps that project the directions
onto your windshield in your line of sight without obstructing your vision.
Keep an eye out for improved car technology. Car technology is advancing at a whiplash
pace, and drivers who have hearing impairments will soon have built-in
assistance, Van Tassel says: “Automobile manufacturers are developing technology
that will give visual and haptic — such as vibrations in the steering wheel or
seat — alerts when emergency vehicles are approaching.” Hyundai Motor Group
announced its own Audio-Visual Conversion and Audio-Tactile Conversion
technology for hearing impaired drivers earlier this year.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete