Motorcycle enthusiasts often cite the thrill of speed and the love for the open road as the driving force behind their passion. But this exciting hobby comes at a high risk of permanent hearing damage for individuals who ride a lot.
The impact of motorcycle speed and riding time on hearing health was examined in a detailed study carried out by a hearing protection maker in cooperation with a notable German automobile association. The results were alarming: bikers can suffer irreversible hearing damage after just 15 minutes of riding without earplugs at a speed of 62 mph.
Why do motorcycle riders get hearing loss?
You might not be surprised that bikers often suffer from loss of hearing, but you may be surprised as to why. Contrary to what many believe, it isn’t the motorcycle’s roaring engine but instead, the wind that poses the greatest hazard. Although helmets offer 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 modifications.
Motorcyclists are frequently affected by a condition called temporary threshold shift (TTS), which is triggered by frequent exposure to excessive noise levels. The more frequently you are exposed to loud noise, the worse your TTS symptoms will become with this progressive condition. People who are coping with TTS might start to notice 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 severe wind noise can be while riding. At 62 mph, the wind around a biker’s head generates noise levels reaching 95 decibels (dB). To put into context, European Union (EU) law mandates that workers must protect their ears if exposed to noise levels exceeding 80 dB. Bikers are experiencing noise levels up to 19% higher than safe working environments when riding at this speed.
As the speed goes up, so does the volume level. Hearing damage can happen after only 7 minutes of riding at 74 mph which produces wind volumes of 98 dB. Many studies corroborate that bikers are indeed at considerable risk of permanent hearing loss.
How to safeguard your hearing
Fortunately, protecting your hearing while riding is both easy and effective: use earplugs. Hearing specialists emphatically recommend utilizing filtered earplugs, which are far superior to the old, uncomfortable versions most people are familiar with. These sophisticated earplugs are designed to safeguard your eardrums from high-frequency 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.
Furthermore, these modern earplugs let bikers enjoy the exhilaration of riding without feeling isolated or numb, a common downside 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 ears safe from wind noise. Significant and permanent 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 making use of a pair of quality earplugs.
Stay on top of your hearing health by calling us to discuss hearing protection.