Love of the open road and the thrill of speed top the list of reasons why people love to ride motorcycles. But this exhilarating hobby comes at a high risk of irreversible hearing damage for individuals who ride a lot.
An in depth study carried out by a notable German automobile association in collaboration with a maker of hearing protection solutions evaluated the impact of riding duration and motorcycle speed on hearing health. The findings 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 bikers?
You may not be surprised that bikers often suffer from loss of hearing, but you might be surprised as to why. In spite of what many think, it isn’t the motorcycle’s roaring engine but instead, the wind that presents the greatest hazard. Although helmets provide considerable protection from injury during crashes, the research highlights that they fall short in safeguarding the rider’s hearing. Enhancements to the helmet, such as additional 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 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 get. At first, TTS sufferers may notice minor symptoms like a temporary decrease in hearing clarity. But irreversible hearing loss can, over time, be the result.
Comparing wind volume with other noise levels
To understand the severity of wind noise while riding, the German study’s results are illuminating. At 62 mph, the wind around a biker’s head creates noise levels reaching 95 decibels (dB). Workers in Europe, for instance, have to use hearing protection by law if the volume exceeds 80 dB. Bikers are experiencing volume levels up to 19% higher than safe working environments when traveling at this speed.
As the speed increases, so does the volume level. Hearing damage can happen after just 7 minutes of riding at 74 mph which generates wind volumes of 98 dB. Other studies corroborate these findings, suggesting that bikers are indeed at a significant risk of hearing loss.
How to safeguard your hearing
Fortunately, safeguarding 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 in. It’s important for bikers to still be able to hear vital sounds like human voices, emergency warning sounds, and car horns.
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 safeguard your ears from harmful wind noise while still enjoying the thrill of the ride by making use of filtered earplugs.
While the passion for motorcycling is fueled by the appeal of speed and freedom, it’s essential to acknowledge and mitigate the associated risks to your hearing. The wind noise generated at high speeds can cause considerable and permanent hearing damage in a very short time period. However, with the simple 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.
