Motorcycle enthusiasts frequently cite the thrill of speed and the love for the open road as the primary reasons behind their passion. However, if you’re a devoted rider, you should know about a significant risk: research has linked this thrilling hobby to irreversible hearing damage.
The impact of motorcycle speed and riding duration on hearing health was assessed in a detailed study performed by a hearing protection manufacturer in cooperation with a notable German automobile association. The results were startling: bikers can suffer irreversible hearing damage after only 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 could. Contrary to what many think, it isn’t the motorcycle’s roaring engine but instead, the wind that poses the greatest threat. The research highlighted that even though helmets offer critical protection during crashes, they fall short in protecting a biker’s hearing. The wind noise whipping around the rider’s head isn’t decreased much even when a helmet has added padding, vents, or other improvements.
Bikers are frequently impacted 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 get. At first, TTS sufferers might detect minor symptoms like a temporary decrease in hearing clarity. But permanent 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 findings are illuminating. The wind noise around a rider’s head can be as high as 95 (dB) at 62 mph. For context, European Union (EU) law mandates that workers need to protect their ears if exposed to volume levels exceeding 80 dB. Bikers are experiencing noise levels up to 19% higher than safe working environments when traveling at this speed.
As the speed increases, so does the noise level. At 74 mph, wind noise can reach 98 dB, a level that can trigger hearing damage after only 7 minutes of exposure. Other studies corroborate these findings, indicating that bikers are indeed at a substantial risk of hearing loss.
Safeguarding your ears
Thankfully, protecting your hearing while riding is both simple and effective: use earplugs. Most people 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. This means you’re able to hear crucial sounds like sirens, horns, and human speech, which are vital for a biker’s safety.
Moreover, these modern earplugs let bikers enjoy the exhilaration of riding without feeling isolated or numb, a common downside of older protective devices. You can safeguard your ears from damaging wind noise while still enjoying the thrill of the ride by making use of filtered earplugs.
While the passion for motorcycling is fueled by the allure of speed and freedom, it’s crucial to recognize and mitigate the associated risks to your hearing. Significant and irreversible hearing damage can be caused by the noise of wind at high speeds. But bikers can protect their long-term hearing while still enjoying the ride by simply using a pair of quality earplugs.
Stay on top of your hearing health by contacting us to talk about hearing protection.