Motorcycle enthusiasts frequently mention the thrill of speed and the love for the open road as the primary reasons behind their enthusiasm. But this exhilarating hobby comes at a high risk of irreversible hearing damage for people who ride a lot.
An extensive study carried out by a prominent German automobile association in partnership with a maker of hearing protection solutions evaluated the effect 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 bikers get hearing loss?
You may not be surprised that bikers often suffer from loss of hearing, but you might be surprised as to why. The greatest threat isn’t the raging engine, contrary to the common belief, it’s actually the wind. Although helmets provide significant protection from injury during crashes, the research stresses that they fall short in safeguarding the rider’s hearing. Improvements to the helmet, such as added padding, vents, or weather stripping, do little to decrease the wind noise whirling around the rider.
Frequent exposure to extreme noise levels often leaves bikers with a condition known as temporary threshold shift (TTS). The more frequently you’re exposed to loud noise, the worse your TTS symptoms will be with this progressive condition. Initially, TTS sufferers might notice minor symptoms like a temporary reduction in hearing clarity. However, over time, this condition can advance to permanent and irreversible hearing loss.
Comparing wind volume with other noise levels
The German study sheds a lot of light on just how extreme wind noise can get while riding. The wind noise around a rider’s head can reach 95 (dB) at 62 mph. For context, European Union (EU) law mandates that workers must safeguard their ears if exposed to noise levels higher than 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.
And the volume level only gets louder as the speed increases. Hearing damage can occur after just 7 minutes of riding at 74 mph which produces wind volumes of 98 dB. Many studies confirm that bikers are indeed at significant risk of irreversible hearing loss.
How to protect your hearing
Thankfully, safeguarding your hearing while riding is both easy and effective: use earplugs. Most people are familiar with the old standard earplugs, but hearing specialists recommend the filtered versions instead. These advanced earplugs are manufactured to safeguard your eardrums from high-pitched noises like wind while still allowing lower frequency sounds to penetrate. This means you’re able to hear essential sounds like sirens, horns, and human speech, which are critical for a biker’s safety.
Furthermore, these modern earplugs allow bikers to enjoy the sensations of riding without feeling isolated or numb, a common drawback of older protective devices. With filtered earplugs, you can continue to enjoy the thrill of the ride while safeguarding your hearing from the harmful effects of wind noise.
It is possible to enjoy the thrill of speed and the freedom of the open road while still keeping your hearing safe from wind noise. The wind noise created at high speeds can cause significant and irreversible hearing damage in a very short time. But bikers can protect their long-term hearing while still enjoying the ride by simply using a set of quality earplugs.
Call today to find out more about hearing protection so you can keep on top of your hearing health.