Love of the open road and the thrill of speed are at the top of the list of reasons why people love to ride motorcycles. But this exhilarating hobby comes at a high risk of permanent hearing damage for individuals who ride a lot.
A comprehensive study done by a prominent German automobile association in partnership with a manufacturer of hearing protection solutions evaluated the effect of riding time and motorcycle speed on hearing health. The findings were alarming: bikers can suffer irreversible hearing damage after just 15 minutes of riding without hearing protection at a speed of 62 mph.
What causes hearing loss in bikers?
You might not be surprised that bikers often suffer from loss of hearing, but you may be surprised as to why. In spite of what many believe, it’s not the motorcycle’s roaring engine but rather, the wind that poses the greatest threat. The research highlighted that although helmets provide crucial protection during crashes, they fall short in protecting a biker’s hearing. Enhancements to the helmet, like additional padding, vents, or weather stripping, do little to decrease the wind noise whirling around the rider.
Regular exposure to extreme noise levels often leaves bikers with a condition known as temporary threshold shift (TTS). TTS is a progressive condition, which means the more you’re exposed to loud noises, the worse the symptoms can become. People who are coping with TTS might start to detect that their hearing is less clear or other minor symptoms. But permanent hearing loss can, over time, be the result.
Comparing wind volume with other noise levels
To grasp the severity of wind noise while riding, the German study’s findings are illuminating. The wind noise around a rider’s head can be as high as 95 (dB) at 62 mph. To put into context, European Union (EU) law mandates that workers must protect their ears if exposed to noise levels higher than 80 dB. This means that bikers traveling at this speed without ear protection are exposed to noise levels nearly 19% higher than what is deemed safe in a work environment.
And the noise level only gets louder as the speed goes up. Hearing damage can take place after only 7 minutes of riding at 74 mph which produces wind volumes of 98 dB. Other studies corroborate these findings, suggesting that bikers are indeed at a substantial risk of hearing loss.
Protecting your ears
Fortunately, protecting your hearing while riding is both simple and effective: use earplugs. Most individuals are familiar with the old basic earplugs, but hearing specialists recommend the filtered versions instead. Filtered earplugs are a more sophisticated model that filters out high frequencies like wind while allowing lower frequencies to get through. It’s crucial for bikers to still be able to hear vital sounds like human voices, emergency warning sounds, and car horns.
Moreover, these modern earplugs allow bikers to enjoy the exhilaration of riding without feeling cut off or numb, a common downside of older protective devices. You can safeguard your ears from damaging wind noise while still enjoying the thrill of the ride by utilizing filtered earplugs.
It is possible to enjoy the thrill 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 significant and irreversible hearing damage in a very short time. But bikers can safeguard their long-term hearing while still enjoying the ride by simply using a pair of quality earplugs.
Call today to find out more about hearing protection so you can stay on top of your hearing health.