# Deaf people and driving **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 28, 2002, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaf-people-and-driving/126002 "2002-08-28T22:12:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BZ00000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/47e85d/32.png) [@BZ00000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BZ00000)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaf-people-and-driving/126002/1 "2002-08-28T22:12:01Z")
Can deaf people drive? In all states? If deaf people can drive, why can’t people wear headphones and drive? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaf-people-and-driving/126002/2 "2002-08-28T23:31:06Z")
As far as I know all states allow deaf people to get driver’s licenses. The reason you shouldn’t wear headphones while driving is because if you _can_ hear, you might as well allow yourself to hear the traffic around you. It is not strictly necessary for driving but it helps. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaf-people-and-driving/126002/3 "2002-08-28T23:37:35Z")
The Deaf do not rely on their hearing to determine if an emergency vehicle is approaching. They do, on the other hand, rely on visual inspection of the vehicle’s mirrors. Headphones (again obviously) aren’t there to keep sound out for those who can hear, but rather to replace the external sounds with a different set of sounds, consequently that’s a distraction. The Deaf don’t get distracted by sounds. ---
**Author:** ![Smashed\_Ice\_Cream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Smashed\_Ice\_Cream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smashed_Ice_Cream)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaf-people-and-driving/126002/4 "2002-08-29T00:26:59Z")
Yes, we can drive. In all states of the US. I’m not aware of anywhere in the world that disallows deaf people from driving, either. You can’t wear headphones while you’re driving because you’re depleting a sense you DO have, and it’s a distraction. ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaf-people-and-driving/126002/5 "2002-08-29T00:37:00Z")
Instead of just merely repeating the answer I gave the last time this question appeared in GQ, I’ll just post a nifty [link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=106209) to that thread. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaf-people-and-driving/126002/6 "2002-08-29T00:50:01Z")
Drat. I thought I’d removed that parenthetical comment above. Please ignore that one. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaf-people-and-driving/126002/7 "2002-08-29T15:43:18Z")
Sure we can drive, but would you want to be a passenger in our car? Some cars come with free gizmos that alert deaf drivers to sirens & stuff. I think that its a free option on GM cars. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaf-people-and-driving/126002/8 "2002-08-29T16:39:38Z")
My state lets narcoleptics drive, so why not deaf people? (Seriously, a high school class my sister had was taught by a narcoleptic techer. He fell aseep in class quite frequently, but still had a drivers license and drove to and from school every day.) ---
**Author:** ![Jorel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@Jorel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jorel)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaf-people-and-driving/126002/9 "2002-08-29T17:04:48Z")
One of my good friends is deaf and I detest driving with her. (Please see Handy’s answer) Of course, I have a friend who isn’t deaf, and her driving is even scarier!