As @gemiwing points out, there are other cues when an emergency vehicle is approaching, so the example you give the hearing loss is only a portion of the problem… the man’s age which led to slower reactions, less alertness, and probable cognitive slowdowns were likely the bigger issue.
This is why I believe that driver re-testing should be mandatory from the age of 45… since that is when age related changes to vision are likely to have begun. Testing should be performed every 10 years until 65, then every 5 years until 80, then every 2 years thereafter. Since our state has provisional licenses for young drivers, I think they should also be available to elderly drivers… such as driving only when it’s light out.
My mother used to be a good driver, but now that she’s over 70, and drives much less than she used to, I notice that her skills behind the wheel have deteriorated. She is not a hazard to others, because she errs on the side of caution; but I know that she must surely annoy the people behind her!
@mowens: A friend of mine was once pulled over (a couple decades back) and warned about having her music too loud… but I don’t think there were or are any laws against it.
@davids: Get your hearing tested as a baseline, and retest in a few years… I’m curious to see what you’re doing to your ears. I am an Audiologist, and I often joke that I should keep a box of business cards to hand out to those with excessively loud car audio systems. My teenaged son can be heard approaching from up the block, and I always tell him “every day I work with people who wish they could have their hearing back”.