How to Retrofit Your Car for Hearing Impairment
Aftermarket answers to the problems many drivers face.
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Drivers with hearing impairments often face two major challenges when out on the road. The first is the difficulty of coping with a loud cabin, where noise from tires, wind, and other vehicles can mask important audio cues from the car's safety and other systems. The second is the risk of having a dangerously delayed reaction to horns, emergency sirens, squealing brakes, or approaching traffic.
Fortunately, there are aftermarket devices that can help mitigate some of these disadvantages.
Broaden Your Field of View
Because hearing-impaired drivers need to rely more heavily on their sense of sight, devices that expand the driver's field of view are especially important.
One of the easiest ways to achieve this is with a wide-angle rearview mirror. These accessories typically clip onto a car's existing rearview mirror and provide a greater view of the road behind. A wide-angle mirror can help eliminate blind spots, aid drivers in spotting emergency-vehicle lights, and increase awareness of vehicles approaching quickly or unexpectedly along either side.
In the same way, an aftermarket rearview camera can provide a visual assist for those drivers who have difficulty hearing the sound of parking sensors. These camera setups can often be found as wireless kits that mount the camera at the back of a car or truck and then transmit a signal to either an existing screen or a small portable display that attaches to the dashboard.
Add a Head-Up Display
Keeping your attention focused on the road ahead is often more important than monitoring what's happening behind you, especially if you have difficulty hearing certain audio cues. An aftermarket head-up display, or HUD, that projects important information into a visual space just above the dashboard can help you keep track of navigation and vehicle functions without having to divert your eyes from the road.
Some companies make head-up display units that project not only vehicle speed and other driving data but also work as turn signals, so you won't have to worry about leaving your indicator on because you can't hear the clicking noise.
Use Tech to Assist Hearing
Given the popularity of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, it's likely more drivers are making use of their phones for hands-free calling and navigation. But having directional assistance and phone calls play over a vehicle's stereo speakers can be less useful for those with a hearing impairment.
This is where Bluetooth hearing aids come in. These small buds can make a big difference in a noisy automotive environment by directly relaying information from a phone to the ear.
