Love of the open road and the thrill of speed top the list of reasons why people love riding motorcycles. But this exciting hobby comes at a high risk of irreversible hearing damage for people who ride a lot.
The effect of motorcycle speed and riding duration on hearing health was assessed in a detailed study performed by a hearing protection maker in collaboration 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 concept of hearing loss may not come as a complete surprise, the leading culprit might. Despite what many think, it isn’t the motorcycle’s roaring engine but instead, the wind that presents the biggest hazard. Although helmets offer considerable protection from injury during crashes, the research highlights that they fall short in safeguarding the rider’s hearing. Improvements to the helmet, such as extra padding, vents, or weather stripping, do little to reduce the wind noise swirling around the rider.
Regular exposure to excessive noise levels often leaves bikers with a condition known as temporary threshold shift (TTS). The more often you’re exposed to loud noise, the worse your TTS symptoms will be with this progressive condition. People who are dealing with TTS may start to notice that their hearing is less clear or other minor symptoms. However, over time, this condition can advance to permanent and irreversible hearing loss.
How do other noises compare to wind volume?
To grasp the seriousness of wind noise while riding, the German study’s conclusions are illuminating. At 62 mph, the wind around a biker’s head produces noise levels reaching 95 decibels (dB). Workers in Europe, for example, need to utilize ear protection by law if the volume goes beyond 80 dB. Bikers are enduring volume levels up to 19% higher than safe working environments when traveling 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 confirm that bikers are indeed at considerable risk of irreversible hearing loss.
How to protect your hearing
Fortunately, protecting your hearing while riding is both simple and effective: use earplugs. Hearing specialists emphatically recommend using filtered earplugs, which are far superior to the old, uncomfortable versions most people are familiar with. Filtered earplugs are a more advanced model that filters out high frequencies like wind while allowing lower frequencies to get through. This means you’re able to 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 external world which can’t be said for the old traditional style. With filtered earplugs, you can continue to experience the thrill of the ride while protecting your hearing from the damaging 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 substantial and permanent hearing damage in a very short time. However, with the simple 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 talk about hearing protection.