Love of the open road and the thrill of speed top the list of reasons why people love riding motorcycles. But this exhilarating hobby comes at a high risk of permanent hearing damage for individuals who ride a lot.
A comprehensive study done by a prominent German automobile association in collaboration with a manufacturer of hearing protection solutions examined the impact of riding time and motorcycle speed on hearing health. The findings were alarming: bikers can suffer irreversible hearing damage after only 15 minutes of riding without hearing protection at a speed of 62 mph.
What causes hearing loss in motorcyclists?
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 isn’t the motorcycle’s roaring engine but instead, the wind that poses the biggest hazard. Even though helmets offer considerable protection from injury during crashes, the research stresses 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 mitigate the wind noise swirling around the rider.
Frequent exposure to extreme noise levels often leaves bikers with a condition known as temporary threshold shift (TTS). The more often you are exposed to loud noise, the more intense your TTS symptoms will be with this progressive condition. People who are dealing with TTS may begin to detect that their hearing is less clear or other minor symptoms. But irreversible hearing loss can, over time, be the result.
Comparing wind noise with other noise levels
To understand the seriousness of wind noise while riding, the German study’s findings are illuminating. The wind noise around a rider’s head can reach 95 (dB) at 62 mph. To put into context, European Union (EU) law mandates that workers need to safeguard their ears if exposed to volume levels higher than 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 volume level. At 74 mph, wind volume can reach 98 dB, a level that can cause hearing damage after just 7 minutes of exposure. Many studies confirm that bikers are indeed at substantial risk of irreversible hearing loss.
How to protect your hearing
Fortunately, protecting your hearing while riding is both easy and effective: use earplugs. Hearing specialists emphatically recommend making use of filtered earplugs, which are far superior to the old, uncomfortable versions most people are familiar with. Filtered earplugs are a more sophisticated model that filters out high frequencies like wind while allowing lower frequencies to get through. This means you can hear essential sounds like sirens, horns, and human speech, which are critical for a biker’s safety.
Furthermore, these modern earplugs let bikers enjoy the sensations of riding without feeling cut off or numb, a common drawback of older protective devices. With filtered earplugs, you can continue to experience the thrill of the ride while safeguarding your hearing from the damaging effects of wind noise.
While the passion for motorcycling is powered by the allure of speed and freedom, it’s important to acknowledge and mitigate the associated hazards to your hearing. Significant and irreversible hearing damage can be caused by the noise of wind at high speeds. 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 discuss hearing protection.
