Motorcycle enthusiasts frequently cite the thrill of speed and the love for the open road as the driving force behind their passion. However, if you’re a devoted rider, you should be aware of a significant risk: research has linked this thrilling hobby to permanent hearing damage.
An extensive study conducted by a notable German automobile association in collaboration with a maker of hearing protection solutions evaluated the impact of riding time and motorcycle speed on hearing health. The results were startling: bikers can suffer irreversible hearing damage after only 15 minutes of riding without earplugs at a speed of 62 mph.
What causes hearing loss in bikers?
You might not be surprised that bikers often suffer from loss of hearing, but you might be surprised as to why. Despite what many believe, it’s not the motorcycle’s roaring engine but rather, the wind that presents the biggest hazard. The research highlighted that even though helmets offer crucial protection during accidents, they fall short in safeguarding a biker’s hearing. The wind noise beating around the rider’s head isn’t reduced much even when a helmet has added padding, vents, or other improvements.
Frequent exposure to excessive noise levels often leaves bikers with a condition called temporary threshold shift (TTS). The more often you’re exposed to loud noise, the worse your TTS symptoms will become with this progressive condition. Initially, TTS sufferers might detect minor symptoms like a temporary decrease in hearing clarity. However, over time, this condition can progress to permanent and irreversible hearing loss.
How do other noises compare to wind volume?
The German study sheds a lot of light on just how severe wind noise can get while riding. At 62 mph, the wind around a biker’s head generates noise levels reaching 95 decibels (dB). Workers in Europe, for example, have to utilize hearing protection by law if the volume exceeds 80 dB. This means that bikers riding at this speed without ear protection are exposed to volume levels nearly 19% higher than what is considered safe in a work environment.
And the volume level only gets louder as the speed increases. At 74 mph, wind noise can reach 98 dB, a level that can cause hearing damage after only 7 minutes of exposure. Other studies validate these findings, suggesting that bikers are indeed at a substantial risk of hearing loss.
How to protect your hearing
Fortunately, safeguarding your hearing while riding is both simple 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 get in. This means you can hear crucial sounds like sirens, horns, and human speech, which are critical for a biker’s safety.
Moreover, these modern earplugs let bikers enjoy the sensations of riding without feeling isolated or numb, a common disadvantage of older protective devices. With filtered earplugs, you can continue to enjoy the thrill of the ride while safeguarding your hearing from the damaging 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 generated at high speeds can cause considerable and permanent hearing damage in a very short time. But bikers can safeguard 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 discuss hearing protection.
