Being hard of hearing or deaf and driving a stick.

[Patty B.]

My 17 yr old son is HOH, hard of hearing. He has what is refered to as a severe hearing loss and has worn hearing aids since he was a year old.

Just recently he got his G1 license He is pretty excited to learn how to drive a standard in our 1969 Beetle--not many can say that these days lol!
We have been taking him out to abandonned factory driveways so he can learn the mechanics of stick then when he has that and some spacial awareness down we'll head out into the street. He's doing really well. Then his auto shop teacher came around and told him how he's at a disadvantage driving stick because he can't hear the clutch----the guy is very supportive of him in every other way in the shop but he felt this a bit of a blow. We told him he is wrong.
We have been teaching him to feel the car, use all the other cues as well as what he can hear. We have had lots of discussions how non HOH people like those driving with loud radios, drivers with audio ear plugs or even people who may have un recognized hearing lose handle driving standard transmissions. Let alone modern cars are pretty sound proof to begin with!

I'm curous to hear other HOH driving stick experiences or stories or thoughts. I know there are deaf and HOH members here, it would be nice to know what your experience has been in learning to drive a stick, learning to drive in general would be good too, it'd be nice to share with our very eager young driver! =)

[Da TOW'D]

Hi Patty
maybe a tachometer would help with the shifting
best wishes
Hank
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[williamM]

X2- get one with the "shift light" that is brilliant and lights up at an RPM you set- I would mount it up high so it can be seen, or maybe even a remote light wired to the dash- This set up would be a "cool" addition to any car, and not be a "OOOH look I'n handicapped" device drawing attention.

Also needs a flash card about his condition and readily roll down the window when the cops pull him over (He's 17 right?-- ya just checking.)

Most distributors will fit the bus rotor that limits RPM from a spring loaded grounding device that really screws up the way the engine ignition when it hits a certain RPM- This is quite noticeable and may help prevent running in wrong low a gear which most drivers would hear and look to see what is wrong.
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[Luft kühl]

There is no need to install a tachometer (or shift light). The shift points are clearly marked l, ll, and lll in red on the speedometer at approximately 15, 35, and 45 mph.

[Pruneman99]

Actually I doubt he needs anything extra. He's been HOH his whole life and has relied on other senses to make up for it. It's normal for him. Normal hearing ppl might learn to drive a stick by sound, and less feel, but he will just learn more by feel (throttle position, speed, acceleration, vibration, and torque). Nothing wrong with that, it's just a different method. It's a non-issue IMO. Keep on buggin'!

[DuaneL]

[Luft kühl]

The reason that there is no mark for fourth, is because there is no fifth gear.

[Pruneman99]

[Erik G]

I have a friend here in TX that is deaf and built his award winning '59 ragtop from scratch

There is a whole group called Deaf-Volks, I know they are dedicated and do a lot of camping and long trips with non deaf volks
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[DuaneL]

[gt1953]

HOH driver should not have issue learning and driving a VW. I mean the clutch is felt, brakes too. Shifting shouldn't be an issue, just don't lug it up a hill at 45 mph in 4th gear.
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[KTPhil]

Agreed, the feel from a VW is part of their appeal, and makes shifting natural as you approach higher rpm.

I also agree that there is more risk of lugging than from over-revving. For example, my fastback is quieter than a Bug, and with a tight muffler and all windows closed, it's now smooth and quiet, right down to about 1200-1500 rpm, which is fine when coasting to a stop, but wrong to boot the throttle at so low a speed. With a loud stereo, it is almost like a "real" car in its quietness (don't laugh!). So the tach may help, but more to indicate too low an rpm than too high.

[Cali_Army_Guy]

[hitest]

I may on another planet with this, but when I was young I had stereos that were always on and always way louder than my clutch. He'll get it by feel in no time and will dominate over those who have to rely on visual and aural helpers to know how and when to shift. This includes his teacher.

I do hope he can learn the feel of healthy, balanced engines too. His car has to be in tip top condition or he will not learn to feel when his engine is developing an issue.
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[vwracerdave]

All he needs is a tachometer to see what the engine is doing. The rest he can feel with his ass, feet, and hands.

When I drag race I wear very thin driving shoes so I can feel what is happening.
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[mark tucker]

it kinda depends on how he wants to drive it and a few other factors too. tach is nice, but if the hearing aids work good I doubt he will need any thing. a good basic understanding of what and what not to do and how it feels to do it. in reality these cars are no different than most any other car.

[Patty B.]

Thanks to everyone for your replies!
It's really interesting now to drive with him since he's had some driving time--he'll comment on my gearing lol 'Nice smooth shift Mom', 'Whoa what happened there? ' No questions of whether or not I'm in the right gear or not yet lol . He is developing an 'ear' both in his head and backside lol Funny thing about the tach idea is I think my non HOH kids might have more use for one than the HOH kid lol----we intend to teach them the same --feel, hear, see, know the mechanicals so you know in your mind what's happening under your foot.

[TDCTDI]

I didn't think any 17y/o could hear a damn thing their parents said. While it definitely helps, driving an old car is more than just listening for when to shift, & since he hasn't been able to depend on audible inputs for most of his life, I'm sure that he has learned to take advantage of all the inputs from all his other senses.
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[ach60]

Ich Denke, dass der Auto-Geschäftslehrer das nicht weiß(kennt), worüber er spricht.

I THINK THE AUTO SHOP TEACHER DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT.

I SAID

THE AUTO SHOP TEACHER IS FULL OF IT
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Good Luck
Al

[cdennisg]

Interesting timing for this question. My 12 YO daughter, though not HOH, was quizzing me while I drove her to school recently. She was wondering how I knew when to shift gears in my 5 speed Toyota. I do not have a tach, so I tried to describe the "feel" of the engine and just how to know when it is time to shift. She'll get it when the time comes to learn, but it seems a bit foreign to her at this point.

Good on you for teaching your kids how to drive a stick shift car, VW or otherwise. It is becoming a lost art. Learning to operate a motorcycle an back up a trailer are other good things. My daughter will know both as a part of becoming an adult.
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