Motorcycle enthusiasts often mention the thrill of speed and the love for the open road as the primary reasons behind their passion. However, if you’re a devoted rider, you should be aware of a significant risk: research has connected this stimulating hobby to permanent hearing damage.
An in depth study carried out by a prominent German automobile association in collaboration with a manufacturer of hearing protection solutions examined the impact 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 irreversible hearing damage.
What causes hearing loss in bikers?
While the notion of hearing loss might not come as a complete surprise, the main culprit might. The biggest threat isn’t the raging engine, contrary to the common belief, it’s actually the wind. Although helmets provide considerable protection from injury during crashes, the research stresses that they fall short in protecting the rider’s hearing. Improvements to the helmet, like extra padding, vents, or weather stripping, do little to decrease the wind noise whirling around the rider.
Motorcyclists are often impacted by a condition known as temporary threshold shift (TTS), which is triggered by regular exposure to excessive noise levels. The more frequently you are exposed to loud noise, the more intense your TTS symptoms will be with this progressive condition. People who are dealing with TTS may begin 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 understand the seriousness of wind noise while riding, the German study’s findings are illuminating. The wind noise around a rider’s head can reach 95 (dB) at 62 mph. For context, European Union (EU) law mandates that workers need to safeguard their ears if exposed to volume levels higher than 80 dB. Bikers are experiencing volume levels up to 19% higher than safe working environments when traveling at this speed.
As the speed goes up, so does the volume level. At 74 mph, wind volume can reach 98 dB, a level that can trigger hearing damage after just 7 minutes of exposure. Other studies corroborate these findings, indicating that bikers are indeed at a considerable risk of hearing loss.
Safeguarding your ears
Thankfully, safeguarding your hearing while riding is both easy and effective: use earplugs. Most people are familiar with the old basic earplugs, but hearing specialists recommend the filtered versions instead. 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.
Bikers are also able to get the total experience of riding without feeling isolated or cut off from the outside world which can’t be said for the old conventional style. With filtered earplugs, you can continue to enjoy the thrill of the ride while safeguarding your hearing from the damaging effects of wind noise.
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. Substantial and irreversible hearing damage can be caused by the noise of wind at high speeds. However, with the simple addition of quality earplugs, bikers can continue to enjoy their rides while safeguarding their long-term hearing health.
Give us a call today to learn more about hearing protection so you can stay on top of your hearing health.