How do Deaf people drive?

I do not understand people using phones while driving. Granted, I fiddle around on my iphone when I'm walking, but only when I'm walking slowly on a clear stretch of pavement. When I'm driving, I'm driving, and can manage chatting to my instructor, nothing more- if I whipped out my iphone then I wouldn't be looking at the road anymore. If I'm at a light then I'm looking at the light waiting for it to change. I can manage sips of water/coke when it's hot and we're going slowly or at lights, but I think using my phone takes more concentration.
 
This is an old thread. But when I get asked this question - I tell them, be my guest - go and drive with a blind fold on, force yourself to drive only with hearing...

They usually change their stance immediately.
 
I was asked this same question by an ignorant hearing person.

We drive, we eat, we have sex, we have kids, jobs ( some not so great due to ignorance)...

we have lives just like you do.

I'm Deaf not physically handicapped.
 
bjcomix said:
Hi-

This might sound silly, but how Does a Deaf person drive differently from a hearing person? How do Deaf people know if an ambulance or fire truck is coming from behind? How do Deaf people sign while driving? How about at night? I'm hearing, obviously, and I'm curious. Also, are there any devices Deaf people use to help them? I think some people use large rearview mirrors, but I don't know of anything else.
I'm a design student, trying to come up with some ideas for a project. I'd appreciate your thoughts.
Click to expand...
What happened to this "project"?
 
would be effing cool if you can design a visual alert to sirens and maybe flashers for deaf drivers. something like some city's use for detecting gun shots? but your design problem would be in making it small enough and cheap enough to be useful. lots of emergency vehicles use some sort of signal with their sirens so they can change the traffic signal to go green for them. i think this would be commercially viable.
 
I am a Hearing person, and the way I see this question is that it would be like those people that play their music soooooo loud that they can't hear anything else going on in the world while they are driving. So why don't you try this and see how it may feel to you while you drive?
 
Goodyy said:
I am a Hearing person, and the way I see this question is that it would be like those people that play their music soooooo loud that they can't hear anything else going on in the world while they are driving. So why don't you try this and see how it may feel to you while you drive?
Click to expand...

One wee little problem here...most of us here are deaf. :lol:
 
How about this for an answer? Deaf people drive just like hearing people drive, just safer.
 
I had several "1 sec away" accidents with on duty ambulance/firetrucks/ and police vehicles in downtown, because I could not hear the siren, and could not see the building block on left/right road (blind spot) from the intersection.

One time I saw them coming very close I had to press gas faster to avoid them hitting me, and another time when I saw fire truck coming that fast, my instinct tell me that I do have a time to stop, and then fire truck stopped and driver looked at me, I sign "I CANNOT HEAR" by fingers pointing my ears while my head shaking. Fire truck driver pissed off and keep rolling. FK him.

I think all ambulances/fire trucks must slow down during the main intersection especially with passing the red light so I have a time to see or stop during my green light on road.

That's only problem I have while I am driving. Every time I check every intersections before I roll through the green light. I am sure deaf people face same situation as me.

Here is concept of the situation:

155qyc7.jpg
 
yeah, I have blind spots like that. I usually slow down at each intersection with blind spots. that's where the most car accidents happen anyway.
 
It's isn't exactly rocket science, all you need is eyes and common sense to drive!

Authentic, it's similar where I live. The police station are stone thrown from my house and is on the left side on the main road and it's one way, coming down the hill, the T junction road is middle of the hill coming from my house, the road is where I frequently uses since it's the route to my job. Every time the traffic lights changes, I slowly creep outwards turning right on to the main road so I can see past the blind spot, I had few police cars coming down so fast but as wise I am I checked before I enter onto the main road but the drivers behind me have no patience, I just ignore them.
 
authentic said:
I think all ambulances/fire trucks must slow down during the main intersection especially with passing the red light so I have a time to see or stop during my green light on road.
Click to expand...

I believe it is the law in a good number of countries including Canada and the USA for all emergency vehicles to slow down at every intersection.
 
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