Love of the open road and the thrill of speed top the list of reasons why people love to ride motorcycles. However, if you’re a devoted rider, you should be aware of a substantial risk: research has connected this stimulating hobby to permanent hearing damage.
A comprehensive study done by a notable German automobile association in partnership with a manufacturer of hearing protection solutions evaluated the impact of riding time and motorcycle speed on hearing health. The results were startling: bikers can suffer permanent hearing damage after only 15 minutes of riding without hearing protection at a speed of 62 mph.
What causes hearing loss in motorcyclists?
While the concept of hearing loss may not come as a complete surprise, the primary culprit might. In spite of what many think, it’s not the motorcycle’s roaring engine but rather, the wind that presents the greatest hazard. The research emphasized that even though helmets provide crucial protection during accidents, they fall short in protecting a biker’s hearing. Improvements to the helmet, like added padding, vents, or weather stripping, do little to mitigate the wind noise whirling around the rider.
Regular exposure to excessive noise levels often leaves bikers with a condition called temporary threshold shift (TTS). The more frequently you are exposed to loud noise, the more intense your TTS symptoms will be with this progressive condition. Initially, TTS sufferers might detect minor symptoms like a temporary reduction in hearing clarity. However, over time, this condition can progress to permanent and irreversible hearing loss.
How do other noises compare to wind noise?
The German study sheds a lot of light on just how extreme wind noise can get while riding. The wind noise around a rider’s head can be as high as 95 (dB) at 62 mph. Workers in Europe, for example, have to utilize ear protection by law if the volume goes beyond 80 dB. Bikers are enduring noise levels up to 19% higher than safe working environments when traveling at this speed.
As the speed goes up, so does the noise level. At 74 mph, wind volume can reach 98 dB, a level that can cause hearing damage after only 7 minutes of exposure. Other studies validate these findings, suggesting that bikers are indeed at a substantial risk of hearing loss.
Protecting your ears
The good news is, it’s easy to safeguard your hearing with earplugs. Hearing specialists strongly recommend making use of filtered earplugs, which are far superior to the old, uncomfortable versions most people are familiar with. Filtered earplugs are a more advanced model that filters out high frequencies like wind while allowing lower frequencies to get through. It’s important for bikers to still be able to hear important sounds like human voices, sirens, and car horns.
Moreover, these modern earplugs let bikers enjoy the sensations of riding without feeling cut off or numb, a common disadvantage of older protective devices. You can protect your ears from harmful wind noise while still experiencing the thrill of the ride by utilizing filtered earplugs.
It is possible to enjoy the excitement of speed and the freedom of the open road while still keeping your ears safe from wind noise. The wind noise generated at high speeds can cause substantial and irreversible hearing damage in a very short time. However, with the basic addition of quality earplugs, bikers can continue to enjoy their rides while safeguarding their long-term hearing health.
Stay on top of your hearing health by calling us to talk about hearing protection.
