Motorcycle enthusiasts often mention the thrill of speed and the love for the open road as the primary reasons behind their enthusiasm. But this exciting hobby comes at a high risk of permanent hearing damage for people who ride a lot.
A comprehensive study carried out by a notable German automobile association in collaboration with a manufacturer of hearing protection solutions evaluated the effect of riding time and motorcycle speed on hearing health. The findings were startling: bikers can suffer irreversible hearing damage after just 15 minutes of riding without hearing protection at a speed of 62 mph.
Why do motorcycle riders get hearing loss?
While the idea of hearing loss may not be surprising, the primary culprit might. The biggest threat isn’t the roaring engine, contrary to the common belief, it’s actually the wind. While helmets offer considerable protection from injury during crashes, the research stresses that they fall short in protecting the rider’s hearing. The wind noise whipping around the rider’s head isn’t decreased very much even when a helmet has extra padding, vents, or other improvements.
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 more intense your TTS symptoms will become with this progressive condition. Individuals who are coping with TTS might begin to notice that their hearing is less clear or other minor symptoms. However, over time, this condition can advance 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 reach 95 (dB) at 62 mph. For context, European Union (EU) law mandates that workers must safeguard their ears if exposed to volume levels higher than 80 dB. This means that bikers traveling at this speed without ear protection are exposed to volume levels nearly 19% higher than what is considered safe in a work environment.
As the speed goes up, so does the noise level. Hearing damage can take place after just 7 minutes of riding at 74 mph which produces wind volumes of 98 dB. Other studies corroborate these findings, indicating that bikers are indeed at a significant risk of hearing loss.
How to protect your hearing
Luckily, it’s simple to protect your hearing with 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. This means you can hear essential sounds like sirens, horns, and human speech, which are vital for a biker’s safety.
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 traditional style. With filtered earplugs, you can continue to enjoy the thrill of the ride while protecting your hearing from the harmful effects of wind noise.
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. Significant 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 utilizing a set of quality earplugs.
Stay on top of your hearing health by calling us to talk about hearing protection.