Love of the open road and the thrill of speed top the list of reasons why individuals love to ride motorcycles. However, if you’re a passionate rider, you should know about a significant risk: research has linked this thrilling hobby to irreversible hearing damage.
An in depth study done by a prominent German automobile association in collaboration with a manufacturer of hearing protection solutions evaluated the impact of riding time and motorcycle speed on hearing health. Alarmingly, at speeds of 62 or higher, for just 15 minutes, riders who don’t use hearing protection can suffer irreversible hearing damage.
What causes hearing loss in bikers?
While the concept of hearing loss may not be surprising, the primary culprit might. Contrary to what many think, it isn’t the motorcycle’s roaring engine but instead, the wind that poses the greatest threat. The research highlighted that although helmets provide crucial protection during accidents, they fall short in protecting a biker’s hearing. Improvements to the helmet, like extra padding, vents, or weather stripping, do little to reduce 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). TTS is a progressive condition, which means the more you’re exposed to loud noises, the more intense the symptoms can get. Individuals who are dealing with TTS may start to detect that their hearing is less clear or other minor symptoms. But permanent hearing loss can, over time, be the result.
How do other noises compare to wind noise?
To comprehend the seriousness of wind noise while riding, the German study’s results are illuminating. The wind noise around a rider’s head can reach 95 (dB) at 62 mph. Workers in Europe, for example, have to use hearing protection by law if the volume exceeds 80 dB. This means that bikers traveling at this speed without ear protection are exposed to noise levels nearly 19% higher than what is considered safe in a work environment.
And the volume level only increases as the speed increases. At 74 mph, wind volume can reach 98 dB, a level that can trigger hearing damage after only 7 minutes of exposure. Many studies confirm that bikers are indeed at significant risk of irreversible hearing loss.
How to safeguard your hearing
Thankfully, safeguarding your hearing while riding is both easy and effective: use earplugs. Hearing specialists strongly recommend utilizing filtered earplugs, which are far better than 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 in. 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 isolated or numb, a common disadvantage of older protective devices. With filtered earplugs, you can continue to experience the thrill of the ride while safeguarding your hearing from the harmful effects of wind noise.
While the passion for motorcycling is fueled by the allure of speed and freedom, it’s important to recognize and minimize the associated hazards to your hearing. Considerable and irreversible hearing damage can be caused by the noise of wind at high speeds. However, with the basic 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 calling us to discuss hearing protection.