Love of the open road and the thrill of speed top the list of reasons why individuals love riding motorcycles. But this invigorating 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 assessed in a detailed study carried out by a hearing protection maker in collaboration with a prominent German automobile association. Alarmingly, at speeds of 62 or higher, for just 15 minutes, riders who don’t use hearing protection can suffer irreversible hearing damage.
What causes hearing loss in bikers?
You might not be surprised that bikers often suffer from hearing loss, but you may be surprised as to why. The biggest threat isn’t the roaring engine, contrary to the common belief, it’s really the wind. Although helmets offer significant protection from injury during crashes, the research highlights that they fall short in protecting the rider’s hearing. Enhancements to the helmet, such as extra 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 called temporary threshold shift (TTS). TTS is a progressive condition, which means the more you are exposed to loud noises, the worse the symptoms can get. People who are coping with TTS may 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?
To grasp the severity of wind noise while riding, the German study’s findings are illuminating. The wind noise around a rider’s head can be as high as 95 (dB) at 62 mph. To put into context, European Union (EU) law mandates that workers must safeguard their ears if exposed to noise levels exceeding 80 dB. Bikers are experiencing noise levels up to 19% higher than safe working environments when traveling at this speed.
And the volume level only increases as the speed increases. At 74 mph, wind noise can reach 98 dB, a level that can trigger hearing damage after just 7 minutes of exposure. Many studies corroborate that bikers are indeed at significant risk of permanent hearing loss.
How to protect your hearing
Fortunately, safeguarding your hearing while riding is both simple and effective: use earplugs. Most people are familiar with the old standard 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’re able to hear crucial sounds like sirens, horns, and human speech, which are vital for a biker’s safety.
Moreover, these modern earplugs allow bikers to enjoy the exhilaration of riding without feeling isolated or numb, a common downside of older protective devices. You can protect your ears from harmful wind noise while still enjoying the thrill of the ride by utilizing filtered earplugs.
While the passion for motorcycling is motivated by the allure of speed and freedom, it’s essential to recognize and mitigate the associated risks to your hearing. Substantial 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.
Call today to find out more about hearing protection so you can stay on top of your hearing health.