A hearing coworker recently took motorcycle classes. One of the lessons covered was safety. The mention of motorcycles reminded me of Emmett from ABC Family’s “Switched at Birth”; Emmett is profoundly deaf and rides a motorcycle. I thought that deaf people and motorcycles might be a interesting topic to cover.

Naturally, riding a motorcycle entails many more safety precautions than driving a car does. Riders must be even more aware of their surroundings, for one thing—that means being aware of sirens, oncoming traffic, etc. Helmets are another essential safety feature; I wonder if wearing a helmet would restrict your vision so that you have a harder time checking behind you. I’m sure there are more, but those two are off the top of my head.

For those of you who are deaf, do you have to take any extra precautions on a motorcycle? Are there motorcycle accessories designed to accommodate deaf riders? What are your tips for other deaf motorcycle riders? Tell us at the next Open Chat Night.