Signing while driving - how does it work?

i tried last week, she was a 'native signer' sort off, but she is not really,...and...she cant sign n drive, its a fail.
 
I don't drive but I did chat with my friend who drove his/her car. It is only at red light or a lack of cars around us on a street, so if there are a lot of cars, we chat less.
 
Signing while driving - how does it work?
Click to expand...

One hand on the wheel, the other is doing all the signing. Eyes are bouncing back and forth between passengers and the road. Can use peripheral vision to sense what the other person said. Passengers will fingerspell more often, and usually raise their hands so we can see them in the rearview mirror.

At least that is what I do. Kind of hard to describe unless you witness it for at least an hour. Much easier than carrying a conversation with a hearing person unless he/she speaks veeerrry clear and slow.
 
I just use my common sense. What KarissaMann05 replied is true. I usually tell my passenger to wait until I feel comfortable enough to listen since if there are too many cars around, it's important for me to pay attention to the road. If there are not many cars around, I do what green427 said exactly.

My friend was fucked up because he swerved while he listened to the very talkative passenger so the cop stopped him and found out that the friend was on warrant for failing to appear in court for his previous DUI case so he was arrested right there.

When I drove, oh boy, that same passenger wouldn't shut up.
 
I remember maybe 10 years ago when I was at ntid there was a car load of students that went off the roadand some of the students died. Was supposed to be because of the driver signing.
You won't get any deaf to admit they have had close calls. Probably never notice anyway. Common sense says if you can't hear and rely on your eyes to drive then you are 2xs as bad as a text and driver if you sign
 
deafbirk said:
I remember maybe 10 years ago when I was at ntid there was a car load of students that went off the roadand some of the students died. Was supposed to be because of the driver signing.
You won't get any deaf to admit they have had close calls. Probably never notice anyway. Common sense says if you can't hear and rely on your eyes to drive then you are 2xs as bad as a text and driver if you sign
Click to expand...

They were Gallaudet students driving to NTID for Brickfest. One perished... and that happened over 15 years ago. One example. Shit happens.

Rest in peace, Chanda Smith.
 
radioman said:
so you are worried? lets me see if I can calm you down --- we been signing pretty much all our lives and it hasnt changed. When we all had to learn how to drive - we had to figure out ways how to communicate when learningg to drive.
Click to expand...


:bowdown:The Deaf who can do this are AMAZING!! I'm taking driving lessons (I am not deaf), but I can not even have the radio on because it distracts me. I can not imagine driving and signing at the same time! Wow, my brain couldn't handle that!
 
NitroHonda said:
I have an oversized rearview mirror in all of our vehicles so we can carry on a conversation with the folks in the backseat.

It is EASY to talk with another Deaf person while driving but it is HARD to talk to a HEARING person as lipreading requires a LOT of focus.
Click to expand...

I find the same with my experiences. I just cannot lipread and drive but I can drive and watch others signing but like I said, not deep and long winded conversations.
 
Evo Dragon said:
Why isn't it illegal to use sign language while driving?
Click to expand...

I really like what the cops said in that link about how it is rare for deaf people to cause wrecks. I have been in the Deaf community for over 15 years and I have never known any of my friends or acquaintances get into an accident because of signing while driving.

The accidents that I know of were caused by texting while driving and it has happened to several of my friends. Especially when Wyndtell first came out...whoa..there was an increase in accidents among my peers at that time.
 
It is so easy if driver and other person are ASL native users, and the driver can use one hand to sign and other hand to hold steer wheel.

Otherwise not much of signing, just silence with brief signs at stop signs or red lights.
 
I saw a car stopped in the middle of the street today (not a busy street, no cars behind them or anything) signing. It must have been important because they didn't even pull over to the side...Just stopped right in the middle.
 
They were probably discussing the latest alldeaf threads. Alex is gonna need more liability insurance for the accidents his site causes. Tsk tsk
 
I think it is silly that many Deaf people I know complain about hearing drivers talking on the phone or texting but they have deep sign language conversations.

I prefer to keep my eyes on the road to avoid all the terrible drivers around me. I even get mad at my hearing fiancé for talking to me while he drives because I forget that he doesn't have to read my lips to know what I say.
 
Back
Top