Love of the open road and the thrill of speed top the list of reasons why individuals love to ride motorcycles. But this invigorating hobby comes at a high risk of irreversible hearing damage for individuals who ride a lot.
An extensive study done by a prominent 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 results were startling: bikers can suffer permanent hearing damage after only 15 minutes of riding without earplugs at a speed of 62 mph.
Why do motorcycle riders get hearing loss?
You might 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 poses the biggest hazard. While helmets offer considerable protection from injury during crashes, the research highlights that they fall short in protecting the rider’s hearing. The wind noise whipping around the rider’s head isn’t reduced much even when a helmet has added padding, vents, or other modifications.
Motorcyclists are frequently affected by a condition known as temporary threshold shift (TTS), which is triggered by regular exposure to extreme noise levels. TTS is a progressive condition, which means the more you’re exposed to loud noises, the more intense the symptoms can get. Individuals who are dealing with TTS may begin to notice that their hearing is less clear or other minor symptoms. However, over time, this condition can progress 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 get while riding. At 62 mph, the wind around a biker’s head creates noise levels reaching 95 decibels (dB). For context, European Union (EU) law mandates that workers need to safeguard their ears if exposed to noise levels exceeding 80 dB. Bikers are enduring volume levels up to 19% higher than safe working environments when traveling at this speed.
As the speed increases, so does the volume level. At 74 mph, wind volume can reach 98 dB, a level that can cause hearing damage after just 7 minutes of exposure. Other studies validate these findings, suggesting that bikers are indeed at a significant risk of hearing loss.
How to safeguard your hearing
The good news is, it’s simple to safeguard your hearing with earplugs. Most individuals 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 vital sounds like human voices, sirens, 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 traditional style. You can protect your ears from harmful wind noise while still experiencing the thrill of the ride by utilizing 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. Substantial and irreversible hearing damage can be caused by the noise of wind at high speeds. However, with the basic addition of quality earplugs, bikers can continue to enjoy their rides while protecting 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.