I really love driving. Winding country roads can be great fun, and there are plenty of those around here, but towns and motorways can be enjoyable too – most of the time. Just before Christmas we were on our way to our sign language class in Leicester and we were stuck in stationary traffic for an hour or so because some cows had managed to get on to the motorway. That wasn’t fun. But fortunately that sort of thing doesn’t happen to us very often.
There are of course, a few problems for hearing impaired drivers. One that worries several of my friends is the concern about not being able to hear emergency sirens. I believe that it’s important to remember that drivers of emergency vehicles are trained not to assume that any driver has heard their siren. But, of course, I still take steps to try to ensure that I am as helpful as possible.
But until recently, there were two things that impacted on my driving pleasure. The first of these was that I found it difficult, or impossible, to converse with my passengers. I did try volunteer driving for a while, taking people from surrounding villages to the local hospitals. Not being able to talk to my passengers meant it was not much fun for either me or them, so I gave that up. But my new fm radio system has changed all that. I can place a microphone on the passenger side of the car, and the sound is transmitted directly to my hearing aid.
The second problem was one that I know many people face. Because I can’t hear the car engine, I often drove in an inappropriate gear. I had trained myself to make good use of the rev counter, and could see if I was driving in too high or too low a gear before I could feel it. But I really don’t like to take my eyes off the road more than I have to.
I solved this problem almost by accident. It was time to replace my old jalopy, and after a great deal of thought decided to go for an automatic. All my friends who share my enthusiasm for driving thought I was crazy. To them, choosing the right gear at all times is an important part of driving. But having now driven an automatic for a couple of months, I am happy to do without gear changes. The car is much better at choosing the right gear than I can be without hearing the engine.
Driving is fun again, and I’m going back to my volunteer driving.