If you have recently acquired hearing aids, congratulations! These devices do not only have potential to benefit your awareness, relationships, and feelings of independence, but they can also have rewards for your mental wellbeing, physical health, and cognitive sharpness. One of the many benefits that hearing aids hold for you is the ability to safely drive. Of course, our eyes are crucial for safe driving, but did you know that your ears can help you drive safely, as well?
Our eyes are best at identifying moving objects and dangers in front of us and in the periphery, but our ears are uniquely equipped to make us aware of threats that are out of sight. When you are driving, these distant risks come in many forms: other drivers, emergency personnel, and even hazardous weather.
For these reasons, it is a good idea to drive with hearing aids whenever possible, yet a few simple tips will help you do so in a way that is safe and enjoyable. Let’s explore these tips before simply popping in your new hearing aids and hitting the road.
Keep Clear Lines of Sight
Although hearing ability is helpful in the ways we have just explored, sight is the crucial sense for safe driving. If you have glasses or contacts, don’t risk driving without them. Clear vision not only makes it safer but it also enables you to see road signs and essential information. Properly functional and aligned mirrors are crucial to a safe drive, as well. When you get into a car, make sure that your rearview mirrors are positioned correctly for the maximum range of sight with minimal effort, and don’t neglect removing rain, ice, or debris from your side mirrors.
One of the other essential elements for an easy range of vision is to be aware of your range of head and neck motion. If you have a muscle strain, back pain, or other physical condition, you might be slow to check your blind spot. Keeping your body able to turn at a moment’s notice is crucial to responding to incidents that can occur on the road.
Stay in Top Mental Shape
Awareness is not only about the senses but also about our mental agility. If you are very tired, mentally taxed, or drained of awareness, your driving can suffer as a result. Medications can be related to this process, as well. If you find that you are taking medications that compromise your mental sharpness, talk to your doctor about safe driving. It is possible that you should refrain from driving while those medications are in effect.
Another aspect of mental sharpness is to drive free of distractions as much as possible. Screaming children or loud music can complicate your mental awareness in ways that interact poorly with the new awareness you will find with hearing aids.
Take Time to Learn How to Drive with Hearing Aids
Hearing aids are a great way to improve your safe driving practices, but they can be surprising at first. Your new hearing aids will sensitize you to a whole world of sound that was formerly beyond your attention. That new awareness will come in handy when you need to drive, but they can also feel like a distraction at first.
Before you take your hearing aids on the road, take some time to get used to wearing them at home and while walking around. Once you have become accustomed to your aids, tou will be wise to practice driving with hearing aids in a safe environment, much like you might have done when you started driving in the first place. A parking lot or quiet country road is a good first encounter with hearing aids on the road. The adjustment period will likely be brief, but taking it slow is a good approach to create safe experiences driving.
Once you have developed an ability to use your hearing aids where threats are minimal, you will be prepared to drive on the busiest freeways with ease. The potential distractions from children’s voices or loud music will only be amplified by hearing aids, so be sure to set healthy boundaries for your driving once you have hearing aids in place.
If you’ve experienced changes in your hearing, schedule a hearing test! Contact us today to learn more!
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