Love of the open road and the thrill of speed are at the top of the list of reasons why people love riding motorcycles. However, if you’re a passionate rider, you should know about a substantial risk: research has connected this exhilarating hobby to irreversible hearing damage.
An extensive study conducted by a prominent German automobile association in collaboration with a manufacturer of hearing protection solutions evaluated the effect of riding duration and motorcycle speed on hearing health. Alarmingly, at speeds of 62 or higher, for just 15 minutes, riders who don’t use hearing protection can suffer permanent hearing damage.
What causes hearing loss in bikers?
While the notion of hearing loss might not be surprising, the primary culprit could. The greatest threat isn’t the raging engine, contrary to the common belief, it’s actually the wind. The research highlighted that even though helmets offer crucial protection during accidents, they fall short in safeguarding a biker’s hearing. Improvements to the helmet, like added 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). The more frequently you’re exposed to loud noise, the worse your TTS symptoms will become with this progressive condition. At first, TTS sufferers may 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 volume?
To understand 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. Workers in Europe, for example, have to use hearing protection by law if the volume exceeds 80 dB. Bikers are experiencing noise levels up to 19% higher than safe working environments when traveling at this speed.
As the speed increases, so does the noise level. Hearing damage can happen after just 7 minutes of riding at 74 mph which produces wind volumes of 98 dB. Many studies confirm that bikers are indeed at substantial risk of irreversible hearing loss.
Protecting your ears
Luckily, it’s simple to protect your hearing with earplugs. Hearing specialists emphatically recommend using filtered earplugs, which are far superior to the old, uncomfortable versions many are familiar with. These sophisticated earplugs are manufactured to safeguard your eardrums from high-frequency noises like wind while still allowing lower frequency sounds to get in. This means you can hear crucial sounds like sirens, horns, and human speech, which are vital for a biker’s safety.
Bikers are also able to get the full experience of riding without feeling isolated or cut off from the outside world which can’t be said for the old conventional style. You can protect your ears from harmful wind noise while still experiencing the thrill of the ride by making use of 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. Considerable and permanent hearing damage can be caused by the noise of wind at high speeds. But bikers can safeguard their long-term hearing while still enjoying the ride by simply making use of a pair of quality earplugs.
Call today to find out more about hearing protection so you can keep on top of your hearing health.
