Love of the open road and the thrill of speed top the list of reasons why people love to ride motorcycles. However, if you’re a passionate rider, you should be aware of a substantial risk: research has connected this exhilarating hobby to irreversible hearing damage.
The impact of motorcycle speed and riding duration on hearing health was assessed in a detailed study conducted by a hearing protection maker in collaboration with a prominent German automobile association. The findings were startling: bikers can suffer irreversible hearing damage after just 15 minutes of riding without hearing protection at a speed of 62 mph.
Why do bikers get hearing loss?
While the idea of hearing loss may not come as a complete surprise, the primary culprit might. Despite what many think, it’s not the motorcycle’s roaring engine but rather, the wind that poses the greatest hazard. While helmets provide significant protection from injury during crashes, the research highlights that they fall short in safeguarding the rider’s hearing. The wind noise beating around the rider’s head isn’t reduced much even when a helmet has extra padding, vents, or other improvements.
Motorcyclists are frequently affected by a condition called temporary threshold shift (TTS), which results from frequent exposure to extreme noise levels. TTS is a progressive condition, which means the more you are exposed to loud noises, the worse the symptoms can become. Initially, TTS sufferers might notice minor symptoms like a temporary reduction in hearing clarity. But permanent hearing loss can, over time, be the result.
How do other noises compare to wind volume?
To understand the seriousness 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 utilize hearing protection by law if the volume exceeds 80 dB. Bikers are enduring noise levels up to 19% higher than safe working environments when riding at this speed.
As the speed increases, so does the volume level. Hearing damage can occur after only 7 minutes of riding at 74 mph which generates wind volumes of 98 dB. Many studies corroborate that bikers are indeed at considerable risk of irreversible hearing loss.
How to safeguard your hearing
Luckily, 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 advanced model that filters out high frequencies like wind while allowing lower frequencies to get through. 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 complete experience of riding without feeling isolated or cut off from the outside world which can’t be said for the old conventional style. You can safeguard your ears from harmful wind noise while still experiencing the thrill of the ride by using filtered earplugs.
While the passion for motorcycling is motivated by the allure of speed and freedom, it’s essential to recognize and minimize the associated risks to your hearing. The wind noise created at high speeds can cause considerable and permanent hearing damage in a really short time period. However, with the simple addition of quality earplugs, bikers can continue to enjoy their rides while protecting their long-term hearing health.
Call today to learn more about hearing protection so you can stay on top of your hearing health.
