When you’re out on the road, can you hear cars—including the quieter electric cars—as well as bicycles and electric scooters? Can you reliably detect warning signals such as car horns, bicycle bells, or police sirens, and pinpoint their location? Especially now in the fall, good hearing is crucial for staying safe on the road. That’s because our eyes often can’t see clearly in the dark, in fog, during snowfall, or when windows and eyeglass lenses are fogged up. That’s when our ears take over to help us orient ourselves and react appropriately. You can reliably check the condition of your own hearing with a hearing test at an ENT doctor’s office or with a hearing care professional.
Road Safety Through Good Hearing
People feel and move more confidently when they can rely on their senses. The ears and eyes, in particular, complement each other perfectly. In poor visibility conditions—such as those we experience now in the fall and winter—we rely even more on our ears. Sounds must be heard reliably and with a sense of spatial awareness. This is because hearing isn’t just about understanding speech; spatial hearing is also essential for orientation and safety. And this only works properly when both ears are functioning properly.
How does spatial hearing work?
Spatial hearing—also known as directional hearing—is the ability to determine the direction from which acoustic signals are coming. It is made possible by both ears, which, unlike the sound source, are not located in the same place. Their arrangement and the distance between them ensure that sound waves reach both ears with a slight time delay, depending on the direction. The sound reaches the left and right ears with a slight time difference. From this, our brain calculates the angle at which the sound waves reached the ears relative to the head, locates the sound source, and enables spatial hearing. This allows us to reflexively look in the right direction and take evasive action in an emergency.
The sound waves not only reach the ear canal but strike the entire head and pass through it. On the side of the ear facing the sound, they travel a short path through the tissue. On the side facing away from the sound, however, the sound waves must travel a longer path through skin, muscles, and bones before reaching the sound-sensitive areas of the middle and inner ear. When sound waves encounter obstacles, they are always attenuated. The pitch—that is, the frequency—also decreases as the sound waves pass through obstacles. Because the path through the head is long, while the paths the sound waves must take to reach the right and left inner ears are short, the degree of attenuation differs. Based on these differences in intensity, the brain calculates the angle at which sounds reach the ears. Finally, timbre also helps in interpreting direction to estimate the source’s location.
The ability to perceive spatial audio can be impaired if one ear is affected by hearing loss.
If at least one ear is affected by hearing loss, this also impacts the ability to perceive spatial sound. Depending on the type and degree of hearing loss, there may be a more or less severe impairment in the perception of spatial sound. When hearing loss is addressed with hearing aids, spatial hearing improves significantly. This is because many modern hearing aids have a reliable spatial hearing feature built in. Using multiple microphones, these devices determine the direction from which the audio signal reaches the ear and amplify the appropriate frequencies. During a consultation with a hearing care professional, those affected can learn which hearing aid is best suited for their specific type of hearing loss.
As a precaution before the hearing test
Many people live with these limitations, get used to them over time, and think their hearing is better than it actually is. Now that it’s fall, it’s the perfect time for a hearing test. People aged 50 and older, in particular, should have their hearing checked regularly. That’s because our hearing can begin to decline at this age. Age-related hearing loss typically begins around age 50. It is often not detected in time, but can usually be successfully treated with hearing aids or implants. If left untreated, people get used to the hearing loss and no longer notice it directly. According to recent studies, if left untreated, secondary conditions can develop, and the risk of falls is also increased. This is because, in addition to good footwear with non-slip soles and, if necessary, walking canes, your hearing ensures that you can move about safely during your daily activities or walks.
By the way: A hearing test is usually free, doesn’t take long, and you’ll get the results right away. This allows for the early detection of potential hearing loss—whether in one or both ears—which can then be effectively addressed by fitting modern hearing aids. Stay safe on the road—thanks to good hearing and hearing aids.
See how good hearing works
Hearing Loss Explained Simply
Tips & Tricks for Living with Hearing Loss — Episode 1: Talking Openly About Hearing Loss
Tips & Tricks for People with Hearing Loss — Episode 2: All the Things a T-Coil Can Do
Teaser Video Series: Tips & Tricks for People with Hearing Loss
Tips & Tricks for People with Hearing Loss — Episode 3: Improving Room Acoustics
Tips & Tricks for People with Hearing Loss — Episode 4: Saying What You Need
Tips & Tricks for People with Hearing Loss — Episode 5: Subtitles for All Movies
How can you learn to listen properly?
Hearing Protection for Musicians
