Wearing helmets could increase the loss of hearing.
The study carried out by researchers from Britain’s University of Bath and Bath Spa University and described in Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, reveals that the biggest source of noise for motorcyclists is not the exciting sound of the engine, but the airflow over the riders’ helmet.
Apparently the sound can exceed safety levels, even while riding at legal speed.
The “Aeroacoustic Sources of Motorcycle Helmet Noise” study used motorcycles helmets on mannequin heads, with microphones placed in various places in and around the helmet and then placed in a wind tunnel to recreate the wind and noise situation that biker’s experience, while also investigating how helmet angle and wind speed affected the loudness.
The researchers found that the area underneath the helmet and near the chin bar is a significant source of noise that reaches a rider’s eardrums.
The study will continue outside the wind tunnel to real-life riders on the open road and the findings may one day be used to design quieter helmets.