Love of the open road and the thrill of speed top the list of reasons why people love riding motorcycles. But this exciting hobby comes at a high risk of irreversible hearing damage for people who ride a lot.
An in depth study done by a notable German automobile association in collaboration with a manufacturer of hearing protection solutions examined the effect of riding time and motorcycle speed on hearing health. Alarmingly, at speeds of 62 or higher, for only 15 minutes, riders who don’t make use of hearing protection can suffer irreversible hearing damage.
Why do motorcycle riders get hearing loss?
You may not be surprised that bikers frequently suffer from loss of hearing, but you may be surprised as to why. The biggest threat isn’t the raging engine, contrary to the common belief, it’s really the wind. The research emphasized that although helmets provide crucial protection during accidents, they fall short in protecting a biker’s hearing. Enhancements to the helmet, like additional 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). The more often you’re exposed to loud noise, the worse your TTS symptoms will be with this progressive condition. Initially, TTS sufferers might detect minor symptoms like a temporary reduction in hearing clarity. But irreversible hearing loss can, over time, be the result.
Comparing wind volume with other noise levels
To grasp the severity of wind noise while riding, the German study’s results are illuminating. 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 use hearing protection by law if the volume goes beyond 80 dB. Bikers are experiencing volume levels up to 19% higher than safe working environments when riding at this speed.
As the speed goes up, so does the volume level. Hearing damage can take place after just 7 minutes of riding at 74 mph which produces wind volumes of 98 dB. Other studies validate these findings, suggesting that bikers are indeed at a considerable risk of hearing loss.
Safeguarding your ears
Thankfully, protecting your hearing while riding is both simple and effective: use earplugs. Most individuals are familiar with the old basic 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 important 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 external world which can’t be said for the old conventional style. With filtered earplugs, you can continue to enjoy the thrill of the ride while protecting your hearing from the damaging effects of wind noise.
While the passion for motorcycling is motivated by the appeal of speed and freedom, it’s crucial to acknowledge and mitigate the associated hazards to your hearing. The wind noise produced at high speeds can cause significant and irreversible hearing damage in a really short time period. But bikers can safeguard 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.
