Motorcycle enthusiasts frequently cite the thrill of speed and the love for the open road as the primary reasons behind their passion. But this exciting hobby comes at a high risk of irreversible hearing damage for people who ride a lot.
The impact of motorcycle speed and riding time on hearing health was assessed in a comprehensive study carried out by a hearing protection manufacturer in cooperation with a notable German automobile association. Alarmingly, at speeds of 62 or higher, for just 15 minutes, riders who don’t make use of hearing protection can suffer irreversible hearing damage.
Why do bikers get hearing loss?
While the idea of hearing loss might not come as a complete surprise, the main culprit might. The biggest threat isn’t the roaring engine, contrary to the common belief, it’s really the wind. The research highlighted that even though helmets provide critical protection during accidents, they fall short in protecting a biker’s hearing. Improvements to the helmet, like extra padding, vents, or weather stripping, do little to decrease the wind noise swirling around the rider.
Bikers are frequently affected by a condition called temporary threshold shift (TTS), which is triggered by regular exposure to excessive noise levels. The more frequently you are exposed to loud noise, the worse your TTS symptoms will be with this progressive condition. People who are coping with TTS may begin to detect that their hearing is less clear or other minor symptoms. But permanent hearing loss can, over time, be the outcome.
Comparing wind volume with other noise levels
The German study sheds a lot of light on just how extreme wind noise can be while riding. At 62 mph, the wind around a biker’s head generates noise levels reaching 95 decibels (dB). Workers in Europe, for instance, need to utilize ear protection by law if the volume exceeds 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 noise 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. Other studies corroborate these findings, indicating that bikers are indeed at a considerable risk of hearing loss.
How to safeguard your hearing
Fortunately, safeguarding your hearing while riding is both easy and effective: use earplugs. Hearing specialists emphatically recommend making use of filtered earplugs, which are far better than the old, uncomfortable versions most people are familiar with. Filtered earplugs are a more sophisticated model that filters out high frequencies like wind while allowing lower frequencies to get through. This means you can hear essential sounds like sirens, horns, and human speech, which are critical for a biker’s safety.
Furthermore, these modern earplugs let bikers enjoy the sensations of riding without feeling cut off 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 excitement of speed and the freedom of the open road while still keeping your ears safe from wind noise. The wind noise created at high speeds can cause considerable and permanent hearing damage in a very short time period. But bikers can protect their long-term hearing while still enjoying the ride by simply utilizing a pair of quality earplugs.
Stay on top of your hearing health by contacting us to discuss hearing protection.