Love of the open road and the thrill of speed are at the top of the list of reasons why people love riding motorcycles. However, if you’re a passionate rider, you should be aware of a substantial risk: research has linked this exhilarating hobby to irreversible hearing damage.
An extensive study done by a notable German automobile association in collaboration with a maker of hearing protection solutions evaluated the impact of riding time and motorcycle speed on hearing health. Alarmingly, at speeds of 62 or higher, for only 15 minutes, riders who don’t utilize hearing protection can suffer irreversible hearing damage.
Why do motorcycle riders get hearing loss?
You may not be surprised that bikers often suffer from hearing loss, but you might be surprised as to why. Contrary to what many think, it’s not the motorcycle’s roaring engine but instead, the wind that presents the greatest hazard. The research highlighted that although helmets offer critical protection during crashes, they fall short in safeguarding a biker’s hearing. The wind noise whipping around the rider’s head isn’t decreased much even when a helmet has extra padding, vents, or other modifications.
Frequent 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 are exposed to loud noises, the worse the symptoms can become. At first, TTS sufferers might notice minor symptoms like a temporary reduction in hearing clarity. However, over time, this condition can progress to permanent and irreversible hearing loss.
Comparing wind noise with other noise levels
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 generates noise levels reaching 95 decibels (dB). Workers in Europe, for instance, need to use hearing protection by law if the volume goes beyond 80 dB. This means that bikers riding at this speed without hearing protection are exposed to volume levels nearly 19% higher than what is deemed safe in a work environment.
As the speed goes up, so does the noise 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 validate these findings, indicating that bikers are indeed at a substantial risk of hearing loss.
Protecting your ears
Fortunately, protecting your hearing while riding is both easy and effective: use earplugs. Hearing specialists emphatically recommend making use of filtered earplugs, which are far better than the old, uncomfortable versions most people are familiar with. Filtered earplugs are a more sophisticated model that filters out high frequencies like wind while allowing lower frequencies to get through. This means you’re able to hear crucial sounds like sirens, horns, and human speech, which are vital for a biker’s safety.
Bikers are also able to get the complete experience of riding without feeling isolated or cut off from the external world which can’t be said for the old traditional style. With filtered earplugs, you can continue to experience the thrill of the ride while protecting your hearing from the damaging 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. Considerable and permanent hearing damage can be caused by the noise of wind at high speeds. But bikers can protect their long-term hearing while still enjoying the ride by simply utilizing a set of quality earplugs.
Call today to learn more about hearing protection so you can stay on top of your hearing health.
