Motorcycle enthusiasts frequently mention the thrill of speed and the love for the open road as the primary reasons behind their enthusiasm. But this invigorating hobby comes at a high risk of irreversible hearing damage for people who ride a lot.
A comprehensive study carried out by a prominent German automobile association in partnership with a maker of hearing protection solutions examined the impact of riding time and motorcycle speed on hearing health. The conclusions were alarming: bikers can suffer irreversible hearing damage after just 15 minutes of riding without earplugs at a speed of 62 mph.
Why do motorcycle riders get hearing loss?
While the notion of hearing loss might not be surprising, the leading culprit could. Contrary to what many think, it isn’t the motorcycle’s roaring engine but rather, the wind that poses the greatest threat. Even though helmets provide significant protection from injury during crashes, the research highlights that they fall short in safeguarding the rider’s hearing. The wind noise whipping around the rider’s head isn’t decreased very much even when a helmet has extra padding, vents, or other modifications.
Motorcyclists are frequently impacted by a condition called temporary threshold shift (TTS), which is triggered by frequent exposure to extreme noise levels. The more often you’re exposed to loud noise, the worse your TTS symptoms will be with this progressive condition. At first, TTS sufferers might detect minor symptoms like a temporary decrease in hearing clarity. However, over time, this condition can advance to permanent and irreversible hearing loss.
How do other noises compare to wind volume?
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 example, have to utilize ear protection by law if the volume exceeds 80 dB. Bikers are experiencing noise levels up to 19% higher than safe working environments when riding at this speed.
And the noise level only gets louder as the speed increases. Hearing damage can take place after just 7 minutes of riding at 74 mph which generates wind volumes of 98 dB. Many studies corroborate that bikers are indeed at significant risk of permanent hearing loss.
How to protect your hearing
The good news is, it’s easy to safeguard your hearing with earplugs. Most individuals are familiar with the old standard earplugs, but hearing specialists recommend the filtered versions instead. Filtered earplugs are a more sophisticated model that filters out high frequencies like wind while allowing lower frequencies to get in. It’s crucial for bikers to still be able to hear vital sounds like human voices, emergency warning sounds, and car horns.
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 conventional style. With filtered earplugs, you can continue to experience the thrill of the ride while protecting your hearing from the harmful effects of wind noise.
While the passion for motorcycling is powered by the allure of speed and freedom, it’s crucial to acknowledge and minimize the associated hazards to your hearing. The wind noise created at high speeds can cause substantial and irreversible hearing damage in a really short time. But bikers can protect their long-term hearing while still enjoying the ride by simply using a pair of quality earplugs.
Give us a call today to learn more about hearing protection so you can stay on top of your hearing health.