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Driving With Hearing Loss

Work with your audiologist and take these steps to stay safe behind the wheel

Getty Images 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 (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. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. "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 , then regular checkups.

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Please Select Make Please Enter ZIP Code Shop For New Cars Please Select Make Please Enter ZIP Code Shop For Used Cars Gas & Auto Services More Exxon Mobil Rewards+ points on qualified purchases See more Gas & Auto Services offers > 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, that sync to your phone make it easier and safer to take a call. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. 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. More on auto

AARP Auto Buying Program

Find a car with safety features you want and get upfront pricing information

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