If you have a hearing loss, what things do you strive to do to be a safe driver?   After participating in a group chat on the subject, here are some of the highlights.

If a hearing person is passenger and you want to freak them out, drive and read lips and soon they will offer to drive next time (smiling).

Others really dislike driving carpool of kids, while another uses a baby rearview mirror to see others in the back seats.

One woman quipped her husband does not like the way she drives, so she tells him he has to drive her.

One suggested using a mic if there is one passenger and says it works great.

Do you have a visor card to show police if you are stopped?   From Hearing Loss Help you can download your own free visor cards (there is a deaf version and a hard of hearing version) and the instructions on how to properly use them. I am not one to put my hearing status on display for all the world to see taking a risk someone would take advantage of that piece of knowledge.  So….maybe just use visor card for night driving so my “hearing” eyes won’t be blinded by a policeman’s flashlight.

Another smart habit is to always make sure ignition key is in off position before turning key to start engine in case engine is already running and you do not hear the motor.  More modern motors running sometimes are not detected as much as older models.

It is a great idea to carry a spare key in wallet if you can’t hear the audible tones to remind you that your key is still in the ignition when you are about to leave your vehicle.

Funny, my son questioned, “deaf people don’t really drive, do they?”  I am thinking, who do you think has been driving you around all these years?   Hearing loss is invisible even to those that we live with daily.   Our eyes do much of the task of driving. Be safe and especially alert to staying visually alert “seeing” the sounds you can’t hear.