BATH, ENGLAND—There’s no doubt that motorcycle riders who wear helmets reduce their risk of skull fractures and fatal accidents. On the other hand, researchers at the University of Bath and Bath Spa University have found that helmets may actually increase the risk of hearing loss among bikers.
According to their study, “Aeroacoustic Sources of Motorcycle Helmet Noise,” which has been accepted for publication in Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, the biggest source of noise for motorcyclists is not the roar of their bike’s engine, but rather the noise generated by air whooshing over their helmets. Even when they ride at legal speeds, bikers may be exposed to unsafe noise levels, the researchers say.
For their study, the British scientists placed motorcycles helmets on mannequin heads, mounted them in a wind tunnel, and turned on the fans, thereby recreating the wind and noise situation that bikers experience. By placing microphones at various locations, the researchers found that an area underneath the helmet and near the chin bar is a significant source of the noise that reaches a rider’s eardrums.
