Plug before you play: Campaign urges people to protect their hearing on the move

The UK’s only tinnitus-specific charity is calling on more riders to get into the habit of using ear plugs to prevent permanent damage.

Tinnitus UK say continuous exposure to noise of over 80 decibels risks damage. For context, that 80dB threshold is deemed safe in a work environment by the Heath & Safety Executive, while at anything over 85dB an employer should provide ear defenders.

“We’re just trying to remind people to use hearing protection in the same way that you put your helmet on,” Nic Wray of Tinnitus UK told MCN. “Because of the combination of bike noise, road noise, and wind noise, the sound levels will get up to a dangerous level very quickly.

“You might get away with it once or for a short part of a day, but if you’re out on your bike regularly, that damage can build up and it can’t be undone. You can lose some of your hearing and that can affect all aspects of your life.”

According to Tinnitus UK data, the combination of engine noise, road noise and wind turbulence are generally around 85-95dB at speeds up to 35mph, climbing to 110-116dB at 65mph. At these upper levels, hearing damage can occur in less than one minute.

Wray continued: “Our concern is people being left with tinnitus, which we know can have a massive impact. It can affect concentration, it can affect enjoyment of activities, it can affect your social life, and it can affect mood. Many people report anxiety, suicidal thoughts, or thoughts of self-harm. It’s not a trivial thing.

“We’re not wanting people to stop doing what they enjoy… We just want people to do it safely and by using hearing protection, which is readily available.”

In a recent MCN poll asking readers whether they use earplugs, a worrying 45% of approaching 2000 respondents admitted they didn’t use protection.

“There are two aspects of noise that are damaging when you’re riding bikes,” says Wendy Faulkner of ear plug firm Auritech. “People tend to think of the engine noise, but it’s the wind noise that people tend to ignore and actually is particularly damaging because it can be quite loud.

“The longer you have the noise, the more damaging it is. Even if you’re not going that fast but are going on your bike a lot – for example as a delivery rider in town – because it’s prolonged use, the effect is cumulative.”