Motorcycle enthusiasts often mention the thrill of speed and the love for the open road as the primary reasons behind their passion. But this exciting hobby comes at a high risk of permanent hearing damage for people who ride a lot.
The impact of motorcycle speed and riding duration on hearing health was examined in a comprehensive study carried out by a hearing protection manufacturer in collaboration with a prominent German automobile association. The results were startling: bikers can suffer permanent hearing damage after just 15 minutes of riding without earplugs at a speed of 62 mph.
What causes hearing loss in bikers?
While the idea of hearing loss might not be surprising, the leading culprit might. The biggest threat isn’t the roaring engine, contrary to the common belief, it’s actually the wind. Even though 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 swirling around the rider.
Frequent 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 are exposed to loud noises, the more intense the symptoms can get. People who are dealing 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 severe wind noise can be while riding. The wind noise around a rider’s head can be as high as 95 (dB) at 62 mph. Workers in Europe, for instance, need to utilize hearing protection by law if the volume goes beyond 80 dB. Bikers are enduring volume levels up to 19% higher than safe working environments when riding at this speed.
And the noise level only increases as the speed goes up. At 74 mph, wind noise can reach 98 dB, a level that can trigger hearing damage after only 7 minutes of exposure. Other studies validate these findings, indicating that bikers are indeed at a significant risk of hearing loss.
How to protect your hearing
Luckily, it’s simple to safeguard your hearing with earplugs. Most people are familiar with the old basic earplugs, but hearing specialists recommend the filtered versions instead. These advanced earplugs are designed to protect your eardrums from high-pitched noises like wind while still allowing lower frequency sounds to penetrate. It’s important for bikers to still be able to hear important sounds like human voices, emergency warning sounds, and car horns.
Moreover, these modern earplugs allow bikers to enjoy the sensations of riding without feeling isolated or numb, a common disadvantage of older protective devices. 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. The wind noise generated at high speeds can cause substantial and permanent hearing damage in a really 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.
Call today to find out more about hearing protection so you can stay on top of your hearing health.