Love of the open road and the thrill of speed are at the top of the list of reasons why people love riding motorcycles. But this invigorating hobby comes at a high risk of permanent hearing damage for people who ride a lot.
The effect of motorcycle speed and riding duration on hearing health was examined in a comprehensive study performed by a hearing protection maker in cooperation with a prominent German automobile association. The conclusions were startling: bikers can suffer irreversible hearing damage after just 15 minutes of riding without hearing protection at a speed of 62 mph.
Why do bikers get hearing loss?
You might not be surprised that bikers frequently suffer from loss of hearing, but you may be surprised as to why. Contrary to what many think, it’s not the motorcycle’s roaring engine but instead, the wind that poses the biggest threat. The research emphasized that although helmets provide critical protection during crashes, they fall short in protecting a biker’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 often impacted by a condition called temporary threshold shift (TTS), which is triggered by regular exposure to extreme noise levels. The more often you’re exposed to loud noise, the more intense your TTS symptoms will become with this progressive condition. At first, 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 noise?
To grasp the seriousness of wind noise while riding, the German study’s findings are illuminating. At 62 mph, the wind around a biker’s head produces noise levels reaching 95 decibels (dB). Workers in Europe, for instance, have to use hearing protection by law if the volume exceeds 80 dB. Bikers are experiencing noise levels up to 19% higher than safe working environments when riding at this speed.
And the noise 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. Many studies corroborate that bikers are indeed at substantial risk of permanent hearing loss.
Protecting your ears
Luckily, it’s easy to protect your hearing with earplugs. Most people are familiar with the old standard 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 through. This means you can hear essential sounds like sirens, horns, and human speech, which are vital 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 experience the thrill of the ride while protecting your hearing from the harmful 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. Considerable and permanent hearing damage can be caused by the noise of wind at high speeds. But bikers can safeguard their long-term hearing while still enjoying the ride by simply making use of a set of quality earplugs.
Stay on top of your hearing health by contacting us to talk about hearing protection.