A

Ok this is what I do as a deaf person.. (edited version for fun)

I tried to listen for my keys, couldn't hear it so I had to look for it

Walk to my car, Neighbor yelled , I ignore him because I didn't hear him.

I realized My alarm been set off .. I hit the panic button with to turn it off and unlock the doors via remote. Looked at the neighbor and apologized.

Open the door

Get in

Put the keys in the ingnition.... opps, is it on? maybe I should try it again.. whoa that's a funny vibration feel...opps, it is already on.

Start the car

Put it in "D"

Press the gas pedal

Drive on the right side of the road, I tried to listen to my driving to steer but it is not working..I can't hear the road so I had to use my eyes.

Stop when cars in front of me stop, at a stop sign, at a red traffic light.... uh oh, the yellow light... should I speed up or slow down.. My ears are not telling me anything! I better slow down.

When changing lanes, I tried looking for honks.. don't see anything... I check rearview mirror to check for cars instead...

I follow all traffic laws

Sometimes I go over the speed limit

Sometimes I do not

I arrive at my destination

I park when there is space

I put the car on "P"

I turn the keys to turn off the car... is it off? oh duh, yeah it is... I'm holding the keys!

I open the door

I get out

I close the door

I turn on the alarm and lock it via remote

I go on my merry way.

That's how deaf people drive.

Deafness

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qballrail

I cannot speak for others but mine is more an academic interest. In an earlier post, I stated this was an assignment for school. To be honest, I think all drivers should rely more on their mirrors than they do. One thing I remember from driver's ed was my instructor saying "Aim high, get the big picture, keep your eyes moving..." Which basically meant to use everything at your disposal, mirrors included!

The first post of this thread was regarding how deaf people compensate for lack of hearing things like sirens or horns while driving.

A

deaf people check their rearview mirrors alot. they can see what's going on. I never could hear sirens when I drive even with my implant, but I can easily see ambulances and polices without a problem.

qballrail

I once owned a Honda Civic and installed a "wink" mirror, as it was called. This was actually a mirror bar in place of the rear-view which spanned across the entire windshield. This eliminated the need for looking over my shoulder. the only obstacle this presented was whenever I needed to put my visor down, it interfered.

KristinaB

I would say, we are ever vigilant, mostly careful, and extremely smart about our driving.

Aussie_Dog

What about car alarms? I don't drive, and my parents have never had a car that had a car alarm (or if they did, they disabled it. I think I remember a car, possibly ours, going off at night). Now, I'm not quite sure if all cars have flashing lights when the alarm is going off, but I feel like I've seen a car alarm going off and no lights flashing. How does a deafie deal with that (is there some other system in the car that shows you the alarm is going off?). I've never really thought about it, but I've just realized I would HATE to be going around the city in a car that's blaring. Then again, I'm HOH, so I would definitely be able to hear it, but still. Curiosity has come a'knockin'.

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rockin'robin

I have a car alarm...and at times, it goes off at random...soon as I put my key into the door, it stops.....(electrical glitch, I think). But doesn't happen often.

My car horn has gottten stuck also (without my knowledge)...also I drove around with a defective muffler for days, before a neighbor told me "ur car is so LOUD"!....And there have been times when I've left my blinkers on...and it makes a clicking sound or a beep (not sure which)....My sons play the radio very loud....and have forgotton to turn it off sometimes...and I've attempted to talk to someone while sitting in my car, and they say "the music is so loud I can't hear you"!...

So...with all these distractions, (to hearies)....I'm a safe driver....since I can't hear them. I keep my eyes on the road, and occasionally yell at other drivers..."get out of the way!...Matter of fact, I do own the road"!

A

The alarm doesn't bother us It's not our fault that they installed an alarm like that. You have to blame a hearing person for it. If it become a problem, you have to let the deaf person know.

btw, My car alarm do go off at random time and I wouldn't know about it because my CI is not on. When that happen, the sounds go off after certain amout of time. But the light will keep flashing. I think that will drain the battery because what if someone is away for vacation?

Berry

It is so obvious!

A Deaf person drives with their feet so they can use their hands to talk!

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souggy

Their knees.

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souggy

MInd you...

I feel safer with Deaf drivers than I do with hearing drivers.

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Berry

I knew a hearing girl who drove with her feet and used her hands to point, do her nails, flirt -- Mind you she never knew a single sign -- But she could bite her toenails while she drove.

She was a lot of fun.

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rockin'robin

Yuk!...(biting the toenails)...a friend of my son's did that at my home once...jeez!..I called his mother! (so nasty)!
Pulled up beside a driver one day at a stop light...she was crying, had a beer in one hand, cigarette in the other and a phone cradled on her shoulder...She was still sitting there when the light turned green....I sped off as fast as I could, keeping my distance!...

Berry

I have a daughter who will sit anywhere and do it --- But she uses both hands to drive -- At just under twice the speed limit so it won't be a felony if she gets stopped.

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KristinaB

I taught my kids from early childhood (while still in car seats) that they needed to keep hand and whatever else down and not block the view for me to the back window from my rear view mirror. Here at 15 & 16, they still are ever vigilant about keeping my views clear and open. Son will clean my windows and mirrors weekly for me.

Hubby knows that if he uses my car, he better put the seat back in the same position. I do it for him and he's 1 foot taller than me.

A

NO KIDDING! EVERYTIME someone honk, my mother would ask us kids "who honked?" and she will be frantically scan all over the road looking the car who honked... we never could figure out who. Sometimes she does this because she think it is someone we know who want us to follow them, and sometimes it is a honk for "watch out" . Car horns really make my mother nervous, that's for sure. If I was hearing, I wouldn't trust car honk anyhow, I'll use my eyes instead. But I do trust flashing lights. People have flashed their light at me and I knew they were trying to get my attention.

melissa

Yes, I hear honks but it's never for me, it's usually someone honking to their friends. Other drivers flash at me when they tell me I can pass, etc. I did pull out a bit too far at a junction yesterday and a car was coming, so my instructor had to brake- I couldn't see the car, he said he could hear it. He said I just came out too fast, and should have crawled forward slowly. I think I'm still getting used to the automatic car- it needs more pressure on the pedals to slow down/speed up than a manual.

BLeGal2

I read the title of this and instantly thought of Keith Wann's comedy and his scene about his mother driving. OH so great. My asl teacher's driving freaks me out--she has never been in a car accident, but she places all of her mirrors so she can see everyone in the cars signing, and she will drive with her knees, hold a drink, cigarette, and sign. And if she does want to hear music (she can hear a little bit) she will BLAST the stereo so loud that you know when she is approaching just cause you hear distorted music getting closer. I love her though--she is an amazing teacher and friend, but her driving is still scary.

KristinaB

Every time I see the thread name (?) I want to laugh. "How do Deaf people drive?" Very carefully and just like a hearing person, only safer. Usually.

sallylou

Just for fun:

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mshel

"How do Deaf people drive?" Simple- With a car, silly!

VamPyroX

Most car alarms only last for a short period of time... unless, yours is the kind that goes on and on until someone turns it off?

Why would yours go off at random time? If that's the case, then your car alarm is probably malfunctioning. It could also be your sensitivity and you need to adjust it.

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VamPyroX

I actually feel safer with hearing drivers than deaf drivers. (Unless it's a deaf person I know and trust.)

I know a lot of deaf people who have gotten in car accidents because they were careless. One guy ran into the back of another car cuz he was too busy looking at his Sidekick. Another guy veered into the side of another car cuz he was too busy looking at his Sidekick. One gal ran into the back of another car because she was too busy looking at her Sidekick. Etc, etc, etc...

What scares me more is the fact that almost half of them admitted that they couldn't help it because they were looking at their Sidekicks and shouldn't be blamed for it.

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Hollykins1

My own mother asked me this question last night! I am having hearing loss due to Meniere's - and she said, "well, if you go deaf you won't ever be able to drive again..." Told her there were MANY deaf drivers who did just fine!

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A

I don't trust teenagers.

Bottesini

I don't trust anyone over 30!

Oh, wait................

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A

That's what I was wondering when a poster asked how do we hear it? I just let it go off by itself.

yes it goes off in random time, not sure why.

A

I also don't trust hearing people because they look at me while driving because I have to read their lips.

Frisky Feline

Interesting, i have a simple question to ask you, do you have more hearing friends than deaf friends?

Banjo

I tend to be the one doing all the driving.