Road Safety for Drivers who are Hard of Hearing

with Special Guest, Ms. Walsh

As a teenager with a hearing loss, learning to drive had some challenges. Parts of it were not easy. The driving school I went to was wonderful because my instructor was entertaining and easy to understand. When teaching the class, he had lots of pictures, videos, and used dramatic role play to show us what to do when on the road. The lessons in the car, however, were a lot more difficult.

Not only did I have to pay attention to which pedal my foot was pushing and where I was supposed to look, I also had to focus on what my instructor said in the car. After an unsuccessful first lesson in the car, my driving teacher and I talked about what problems we had and came up with some ideas. We decided he would use hand signals when speaking so I understood where he wanted me to stop, turn left, or change lanes.

Once I passed my driver's test and got my license, driving with my friends who are also hard of hearing was interesting. We would drive around together on Friday and Saturday nights with the cabin light on in the car. We got a lot of side eye from other drivers! Sometimes my friends and I would use our hands to communicate like giving a thumbs up to say “yes”, or wait until we were stopped at a red light to ask a quick question.

As an adult with children of my own, I have to watch what is happening on the road when I am driving. My children often try to talk to me when we are in the car, and I tell them to wait until we've stopped. I don’t answer my cell phone when driving either because it takes too much of my attention away from the road. Another challenge I have when driving is figuring out where sirens are coming from. Usually, I check my review mirror and blind spot first, and then watch what the other drivers are doing. I find I especially see well if the radio is turned down!

The Visor Card below is a sample communication tool for Ontario drivers who are hard of hearing. Click on the image for more information. To order an authentic copy without the watermark, please e-mail the Ontario Association for the Deaf at Office@DeafOntario.ca

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