Just a thought, but if you have ever been cycling and didn't hear a car near you, or it was closer than you were expecting, it might be time to get your hearing tested.
You are cycling along, minding your own business, keeping your eyes on the road, the other traffic, and pedestrians, and still a car managed to get too close to you and clip you. Was it your fault you didn't hear them? They are probably a jerk driver, but you probably should be proactive about being able to hear any cars around you for safety reasons.
Here is why:
One in five adults have suffered permanent hearing damage.
It is remarkably common even amongst young adults, and often is the result of listening to loud music or loud workplace conditions. It isn't just a matter of age. Myself I have hearing damage from my youth and I am only 40. I have been living with my hearing damage for roughly 28 years.
This implies in turn that roughly one in five adult cyclists also has hearing damage.
Does this mean one in five should also be wearing hearing aids? No, it really depends on how severe the damage is. Which is why it is so important to have your hearing tested.
The good news is that Omni Hearing has a free online hearing test you can do right now on your computer. Or if you prefer an in-person meeting with an audiologist you can get a free hearing test at any of their 2 locations:
Call or Text 905-605-4593
Oakville/Mississauga
Call or Text 905-287-2037
Now just because you are ready for a hearing test doesn't mean you need hearing aids. It might simply be a case that you need to start protecting your ears from further damage (by wearing ear plugs when near loud noises).
And if it does turn out that you really should have hearing aids there is more good news. If you live in Ontario then OHIP covers most of the cost. They are practically free.
Want more good news? Hearing aids have been getting smarter over the past 30 years. They can now auto-adjust based on the existing sound levels on quiet streets vs loud streets, so that regardless of the situation you will still hear that ultra quiet electric car backing out of its driveway from behind a hedge...
There are a wide variety of smart hearing aids now available out there, including waterproof hearing aids which are ideal if you enjoy cycling in the rain or snow.
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