So, I’ve just had my first 2 hour driving lesson, what an experience..!
Of course I was quite nervous when I started because I knew it was going to be hard and I worried that I wasn’t going to hear what the instructor was saying.
The first part was just going through simple instructions about the car, mirrors, seat, controls. Also, preferred methods of communication! My instructor has a hearing loss himself so he understood how I needed to lip-read, so it’s great having a deaf aware instructor.
The most difficult part of the lesson was getting used to the clutch control because it was all about finding the ‘bite point’… it was weird at first because he asked if I could hear or feel it- I couldn’t do either. He then explained how the car moves when you release the clutch slowly or stalls if you release the clutch too quickly- everything was fine! It’s a lot harder than you think!
During the lesson he used different hand signals and because I don’t do sign language, it took a bit of getting used to. The signs would be for example, direction, speed, gear, clutch and so on! Sometimes I forgot what a sign meant so I ended up quickly reading his lips!
There were times where I was concentrating too much on the clutch, that I forgot to look where I was going, or to hold the steering wheel! Oh, well- it’s all a learning curve!
I managed to drive around the block almost twice at a speed of max 12mph (stopping quite frequently) which I’m proud of! – I know 12mph isn’t much but it was scary!
The next lesson is booked so I am looking forward to it, I’ll probably forget everything by then!
For those who say deaf people can’t drive- well if I’m learning and others have passed their test… then I’m pretty sure they can!
Now… I need to relax! It’s worn me out!
Love E x
Deafie Blogger 
After forty years of driving I still have problems with the excelorator. I learnt to hear the right point to change gear by the time I was deaf I could only feel it. Now with such quiet engines it is hard to do either so I frequently over rev the engine. I found the rev counter next to the speedometer was a good help to show me the appropriate time to change gear. As a lip reader and sub title user like me you won’t have a problem seeing it as well as looking where you are going. Its all in the practice! Happy travels.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aha! Thanks for sharing! That’s true, it was hard for me to feel or hear but there’s a way around it! Thank you!
LikeLike
Yes, rev counter is very helpful. Sadly, I only had it in my instructor’s car, so in my own car I had to depend on “feeling” car (how/if we hear car engine depends on our hearing aids too). It took some time, lots of over revving, but now my hearing passengers no longer complain 😉 So every deaf should aim for car with rev counter, but if he has one without it, he shouldn’t despair – it’s still possible to have fun with it and drive safely.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aha thanks for your comment!
LikeLike
Hello sweetheart, that’s the first one under your belt, well done.N XX.
Sent from the oldest Silver Surfer on the web!!!!!!!! LOL
>
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aw thank you! X
LikeLike