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Driving largely relies on being visibly aware of your surroundings, so being deaf or having hearing problems doesn’t affect your ability to drive all that much. Moreover, some study indicates that deaf people actually make better drivers because being deaf enhances the peripheral vision of people. Besides, deaf people are less likely to get distracted by noises generated by passengers, radio, or phones.
In spite of this, according to the World Federation, in 26 countries, deaf people are not allowed to drive a car.
Countries that don’t allow deaf people to obtain a driver’s license: Republic of Armenia, Ukraine, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Haiti, Nicaragua, Laos, Egypt, Mauritania, Morocco, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Benin, Cape Verde, Chad, Gabon, Niger, Senegal, Togo, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sudan, Zambia.
Where deaf people can drive (blue – legal, pink – illegal)
In many countries, the deaf community has had to fight for the right to drive.
There are many ways that deaf drivers drive safely. Deaf drivers can use special alert devices that are able to distinguish the sound using a panel with multiple indicators and panoramic mirrors.
