The other day traffic stalled behind a car stopped at a green light, honking ensured; it was ignored. Finally the driver drove on and promptly stopped at the next green light, more ignored honking. Eventually I caught up to the problem driver, readied the stink-eye, and discovered the driver and passenger smiling and laughing, obviously enjoying a conversation, and using sign language. Ah okay, mystery solved. But is signing while driving safe? One, you need to take your hands off the wheel and two, you have to take your eyes off the road to communicate. So what do you think, is signing and driving okay?
Hands Fee Signing?
- Thread starter Clyde.
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but Clyde has a point. Sign language does not just consist of gestures. The movements of the mouth and the facial impression are important as well. And those you can only notice if you face your Partner which means that during that time you drive blind.
When driving you always ought to concentrate on the road and the road signs. It's a matter of life and death not only for yourself but for everyone else on the road.
Just to make sure, I asked my three deaf colleagues. They say that they talk with their passengers only when in a traffic jam or when at a red traffic light, but never ever while the car is in motion.
One of them also has a motorbike license. He says in case he needs to communicate with one of his fellow bikers, they have agreed on a special light signal which means that they'll take a break at the next parking lot or side street to talk there. A very sound idea, in my opinion.
I wouldn't call it discrimination but rater a case of special circumstances. Just like a very nearsighted person wouldn't be permitted to drive without a proper seeing aid.
When driving you always ought to concentrate on the road and the road signs. It's a matter of life and death not only for yourself but for everyone else on the road.
Just to make sure, I asked my three deaf colleagues. They say that they talk with their passengers only when in a traffic jam or when at a red traffic light, but never ever while the car is in motion.
One of them also has a motorbike license. He says in case he needs to communicate with one of his fellow bikers, they have agreed on a special light signal which means that they'll take a break at the next parking lot or side street to talk there. A very sound idea, in my opinion.
I wouldn't call it discrimination but rater a case of special circumstances. Just like a very nearsighted person wouldn't be permitted to drive without a proper seeing aid.
Of course distracted driving is dangerous for any group, but given that I'm not aware of any upsurge in traffic accidents being caused by distracted driving by deaf people, and seeing as how they're already probably far more vigilant on the road than most hearing people to compensate for their loss of (or greatly impaired) hearing, this seems like a non-issue in search of an unneeded solution. I trust that the overwhelming majority of deaf people who drive are responsible and know not to take their eyes off the road and their surroundings or both of their hands off the wheel while in motion. An outlier here and there does not require legislation.
I'm unaware of any such statistics as well.
Not clear why deaf people would be inherently more vigilant than folks who can hear.
I was seeking only an answer ( "So what do you think, is signing and driving okay?") not any sort of solution.
I have no greater faith in deaf folks than I have in those who can hear.
Hmmm... No calls for legislation have been made.
because they lack one important way of information transfer. We ordinary members of traffic rely a lot more on our Hearing than we are consciousely aware of. If you can't hear warning signals you must automatically look more to get the warning.
Try going for a walk with tight-fitting earplugs - you'll be amazed how insecure you'll feel. It's almost as bad as being blindfolded.
I could see more visually vigilant (no pun intended) but not necessarily more vigilant in general.
I've worn safety ear muffs on more than one occasion, usually while using power tools, and while I didn't notice enhanced vigilance, it was quite isolating.
Now that's never recommended while using power tools but oddly enough I suspect that would make me quite a bit more vigilant!
LOL I bet 
I knew a blind lady who knitted the most elaborate lace table cloths you can imagine. It's amazing what a few extremely gifted people can achieve with only 4 senses, but it's not the rule, unfortunately.
I knew a blind lady who knitted the most elaborate lace table cloths you can imagine. It's amazing what a few extremely gifted people can achieve with only 4 senses, but it's not the rule, unfortunately.
I would think that would be obvious. When one is missing (or has reduced hearing) the second most important sense needed while driving you would instead probably be more vigilant watching your surroundings to compensate for that. You say as much yourself in your other post (quoted below), so I assume you were just being contrary or pedantic here for some reason.
Well, bully for you. It's not really a matter of faith, as the fact that there aren't frequent stories of deaf people being involved in car accidents at a significantly higher rate than anyone else makes it clear that they probably have the issue of when and how they should sign while on the road well in hand (pun intended).
If all you want is a Yes/No answer to an obvious question than there's not much point to this thread. Of course driving while distracted is a bad idea. Growing from that point is 1) is this is a significant problem, 2) are further steps necessary to fix it, and 3) if so, what can be done about it? That's kind of how discussion threads are supposed to work.
Yes well, you wearing ear muffs one time and a deaf person are not exactly comparable situations.
Yes.
I could see more visually vigilant (no pun intended) but not necessarily more vigilant in general.
Meh, well faith and trust are pretty darn synonymous. You offered that plus your absence of statistics as reason for believing the overwhelming majority of deaf people who drive are responsible. I suspect they are just as responsible as everybody else.Locutus of Bored said:
A binary response was never requested either.Locutus of Bored said:
Meh, tight-fitting earplugs and ear muffs are pretty much the same thing. Though ear muffs are warmer.Locutus of Bored said:
I dunno, you're only allowed to use your phone in hands-free mode while driving and I can see the logic in that, safety reasons and whatnot. Seems signing while driving is a similar situation.
Using one's phone while driving is a choice, while being deaf is not.
True. The similarity lies in driving while a hand or two is doing something else.
Signing wile driving is also a choice.
Of course it is, a choice between communicating with someone in the car or not, how utterly discrinationary that is.
Apologies, I don't quite get your point here.
If you feel this strongly about it, write your local, state, or federal representatives about it.
It will be interesting, to say the least, to watch the reaction to any politicians who take up your position as their cause.
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