Love of the open road and the thrill of speed are at the top of the list of reasons why people love to ride motorcycles. But this exhilarating hobby comes at a high risk of irreversible hearing damage for individuals who ride a lot.
The impact of motorcycle speed and riding time on hearing health was evaluated in a detailed study carried out by a hearing protection manufacturer in collaboration with a prominent German automobile association. Alarmingly, at speeds of 62 or higher, for just 15 minutes, riders who don’t use hearing protection can suffer permanent hearing damage.
What causes hearing loss in bikers?
While the concept of hearing loss might not come as a complete surprise, the primary culprit might. The biggest threat isn’t the raging engine, contrary to the common belief, it’s really the wind. The research emphasized that even though helmets offer critical protection during crashes, they fall short in safeguarding a biker’s hearing. The wind noise whipping around the rider’s head isn’t reduced very much even when a helmet has added padding, vents, or other improvements.
Bikers are frequently affected by a condition called temporary threshold shift (TTS), which is triggered by regular exposure to extreme noise levels. TTS is a progressive condition, which means the more you’re exposed to loud noises, the worse the symptoms can get. Initially, TTS sufferers may detect minor symptoms like a temporary reduction in hearing clarity. However, over time, this condition can progress to permanent and irreversible hearing loss.
Comparing wind volume with other noise levels
To comprehend the seriousness of wind noise while riding, the German study’s results are illuminating. At 62 mph, the wind around a biker’s head creates noise levels reaching 95 decibels (dB). 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 noise levels nearly 19% higher than what is deemed safe in a work environment.
As the speed goes up, so does the volume level. At 74 mph, wind volume can reach 98 dB, a level that can cause hearing damage after only 7 minutes of exposure. Many studies confirm that bikers are indeed at substantial risk of permanent hearing loss.
How to safeguard your hearing
Thankfully, protecting your hearing while riding is both easy and effective: use earplugs. Hearing specialists strongly recommend making use of filtered earplugs, which are far better than the old, uncomfortable versions many are familiar with. These advanced earplugs are designed to safeguard your eardrums from high-pitched noises like wind while still allowing lower frequency sounds to get in. This means you can hear crucial sounds like sirens, horns, and human speech, which are critical for a biker’s safety.
Bikers are also able to get the total experience of riding without feeling isolated or cut off from the outside world which can’t be said for the old traditional style. You can protect your ears from damaging wind noise while still enjoying the thrill of the ride by using filtered earplugs.
It is possible to enjoy the excitement 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 substantial and irreversible hearing damage in a very short time period. However, with the basic addition of quality earplugs, bikers can continue to enjoy their rides while protecting their long-term hearing health.
Stay on top of your hearing health by contacting us to discuss hearing protection.