Love of the open road and the thrill of speed are at the top of the list of reasons why individuals love riding motorcycles. But this exciting hobby comes at a high risk of permanent hearing damage for people who ride a lot.
An extensive study carried out by a notable German automobile association in collaboration with a maker of hearing protection solutions examined 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 use hearing protection can suffer irreversible hearing damage.
What causes hearing loss in bikers?
While the notion of hearing loss may not come as a complete surprise, the primary culprit might. In spite of what many think, it’s not the motorcycle’s roaring engine but rather, the wind that poses the greatest threat. The research emphasized that although helmets offer crucial protection during accidents, they fall short in protecting a biker’s hearing. The wind noise whipping around the rider’s head isn’t reduced very much even when a helmet has extra padding, vents, or other improvements.
Motorcyclists are often affected by a condition called temporary threshold shift (TTS), which results from frequent exposure to excessive noise levels. TTS is a progressive condition, meaning the more you’re exposed to loud noises, the worse the symptoms can become. People who are dealing with TTS may begin to detect that their hearing is less clear or other minor symptoms. But irreversible hearing loss can, over time, be the outcome.
How do other noises compare to wind volume?
The German study sheds a lot of light on just how extreme wind noise can be while riding. The wind noise around a rider’s head can reach 95 (dB) at 62 mph. Workers in Europe, for example, need to utilize hearing protection by law if the volume exceeds 80 dB. This means that bikers traveling at this speed without ear protection are exposed to noise levels nearly 19% higher than what is regarded as safe in a work environment.
As the speed increases, so does the noise level. Hearing damage can occur after just 7 minutes of riding at 74 mph which generates wind volumes of 98 dB. Other studies validate these findings, suggesting that bikers are indeed at a considerable risk of hearing loss.
How to safeguard your hearing
The good news is, it’s easy 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 in. This means you can hear crucial 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 external 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 using filtered earplugs.
While the passion for motorcycling is powered by the appeal of speed and freedom, it’s important to recognize and mitigate the associated risks to your hearing. Significant and permanent 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 find out more about hearing protection so you can keep on top of your hearing health.
