Wearing Earplugs when you ride in the event of it being illegal

[mnb]

Actually, I think that the tests I saw were done on a beemer, with a windscreen.  No getting away from it though, the wind noise is loud enough to cause damage....eventually, it's cumulative!  

Were those tests done with helmets on?  

I've ridden without earplugs for nearly 30 years.  While I haven't had a hearing test done in ages, I do evaluate speaker systems and headphones from time to time as well as fine tune EQ settings.  If my hearing were poor, I'd find myself cranking up the high frequencies (12-20k) to compensate, but I don't.  At least not on a good system..  

I'm not saying you folks shouldn't wear earplugs.  I'm just saying that I've personally never found much need for it.  The one caveat there is on the Harley.  I do wear the etymotic earphones riding it for music.  If I didn't have music, I think I'd definitely want the earplugs.  But I wear a half helmet on the Harley (because I wear the earphones).  So without that, I'd probably go back to the full face like I use on the beemer and I 'might' find it unnecessary.  I've had the beemer for 12 years, so my recollection of wind noise on something like a standard with a windscreen is a bit dusty...

[Scoop]

Were those tests done with helmets on?  

I've ridden without earplugs for nearly 30 years.  While I haven't had a hearing test done in ages, I do evaluate speaker systems and headphones from time to time as well as fine tune EQ settings.  If my hearing were poor, I'd find myself cranking up the high frequencies (12-20k) to compensate, but I don't.  At least not on a good system..  

I'm not saying you folks shouldn't wear earplugs.  I'm just saying that I've personally never found much need for it.  The one caveat there is on the Harley.  I do wear the etymotic earphones riding it for music.  If I didn't have music, I think I'd definitely want the earplugs.  But I wear a half helmet on the Harley (because I wear the earphones).  So without that, I'd probably go back to the full face like I use on the beemer and I 'might' find it unnecessary.  I've had the beemer for 12 years, so my recollection of wind noise on something like a standard with a windscreen is a bit dusty..

I will try to find those articles.  I have hard copies at the office, but am not sure if they are available online.  They were tests done on a variety of full face helmets, both passenger and driver.  The testing indicated noise at about 90 dB(A) on average, if I remember correctly.  Definitely enough to do some damage over time.  But, some people are more susceptible to noise induced hearing loss than others, it is genetic.  Even at "safe" levels of noise exposure (85 dB(A) according to OSHA), about 10% of the population will still suffer noise induced hearing loss.  If you are not using earplugs and are riding long distances, it probably will catch up with you eventually.  And, we loose our hearing in the higher frequencies over time anyway, at about 10 dB per year in the very high freqs.  At age 12, we have great hearing out to about 22k, but it doesn't last long!  Hearing tests only go to 8k, but I can guarantee that your sensitivity above 10k is not what it once was

[Charlie7]

What?...Huh???...What's that????.......  Deer plugs? Deer plugs?  Why would I put deer in my ears to keep from losing my herring?  I never liked fish much anyway!!!!

 

[Ant]

What?...Huh???...What's that????.......  Deer plugs? Deer plugs?  Why would I put deer in my ears to keep from losing my herring?  I never liked fish much anyway!!!!

 

 

[jwhite518]

Old joke:

A 87 year-old man went to the doctor to get a physical. A few days later, the doctor saw the man walking down the street with a gorgeous young lady on his arm.

A couple of days later, when the old man had an appointment with the doctor again, the doctor said, "You're really doing great, aren't you?"

The man replied, "Just doing what you said doctor, "Get a hot mama and be cheerful."

The doctor said, "I didn't say that!...I said you have got a heart murmur. Be careful!"

[mnb]

Hearing tests only go to 8k, but I can guarantee that your sensitivity above 10k is not what it once was

Any hearing test worth it's salt goes to 20k.  I've never taken one that didn't.

[Busy Little Whiner]

If you don't ride withing the legal speed limits why would you care about illegal ear plugs??? isn't that the
least of your infractions???

Moozic Non Stop...

[Blacknblue]

If I'm riding freeway the answer is yes. If I'm going slower on back roads
sometimes I don't bother. A few times I've forgotten to put them in after
a stop and road on the freeway at 70 or so and it really bugged me.

[Scoop]

Any hearing test worth it's salt goes to 20k.  I've never taken one that didn't.

So sorry, but that I can't see.  Where did you take these tests?  Conventional audiometers and transducers are not generally capable of testing over 10 k and usually not anything over 8 k.  This is because of a) the cost of equipment capable of generating a pure tone sine wave at that frequency without spectral splatter, and b) the long term average speech spectrum does not really consider any sounds above 8k.  Any transducer producing a pure tone above about 10 to 12 k would be found in research equipment only.  

[R.Markus]

I don't wear ear plugs anymore while riding.

[tjhess74]

ive got a couple issues here:

first, if i wore plugs and the law said not too, i would still were them provided i could hear what i needed too (wouldnt wear them if i couldnt).

second, i dont wear plugs cause for me, that seem to actually make MORE noise!  ive tried dozens of plugs and brands.  i had a custom set made and those didnt work either.  the only two times i ever experienced tinitus while/after riding was when i wore plugs for a long disance (100+miles) and when i tried putting speakers in my helmet for music.  i was amazed at how loud the music had to be to hear for enjoyment on the highway.  i stopped and killed the engine then turned my mp3 back on to test the volume and it about blew me down!  i just find more low frequency buzz/noise when plugs are in so i gave up on them.  i feel kinda guilty about it but i cant argue with myself on my results.  

maybe someone can vouch for this experience or just tell me im crazy!  

[Scoop]

ive got a couple issues here:

first, if i wore plugs and the law said not too, i would still were them provided i could hear what i needed too (wouldnt wear them if i couldnt).

second, i dont wear plugs cause for me, that seem to actually make MORE noise!  ive tried dozens of plugs and brands.  i had a custom set made and those didnt work either.  the only two times i ever experienced tinitus while/after riding was when i wore plugs for a long disance (100+miles) and when i tried putting speakers in my helmet for music.  i was amazed at how loud the music had to be to hear for enjoyment on the highway.  i stopped and killed the engine then turned my mp3 back on to test the volume and it about blew me down!  i just find more low frequency buzz/noise when plugs are in so i gave up on them.  i feel kinda guilty about it but i cant argue with myself on my results.  

maybe someone can vouch for this experience or just tell me im crazy!  

You are experiencing the occlusion effect.  That is what happens when we plug our ears.  Same thing happens when you plug your ears with your fingers.  The low frequency noise becomes, in effect, amplified.  There are two ways to prevent this, one is deeper plugs (less room left in the ear canal reduces the effect) and venting.  But, venting reduces or eliminates the noise reduction abilities of the plug.  I would suggest deeper plugs.  If you can't stand the plugs being in deep, or if you still can't get rid of the occlusion effect, it may be difficult to find a solution.  You probably won't want to wear hearing aids either if you have to sometime down the line
One solution might be to look for a quieter helmet.  You are probably sensitive to the vibrotactile effect of lower frequencies too.  Maybe try some ER-6i insert earphones.  They go deep, and effectively block noise.  They can deliver good sound without having to have the volume way up either.  Hope these suggestions work.

[Zerosum]

How many tickets are you likely to recieve for this, over the course of your riding life?  One?  Two?  

So figure about $200 of the course of your entire life... a small price to pay for having more of your hearing intact when you're old.

They might as well ban sunglasses as well... the same bass-ackwards logic applies to them as well.  "With sunglasses on, you're less likely to see emergency vehicles..."

[tjhess74]

You are experiencing the occlusion effect.  That is what happens when we plug our ears.  Same thing happens when you plug your ears with your fingers.  The low frequency noise becomes, in effect, amplified.  There are two ways to prevent this, one is deeper plugs (less room left in the ear canal reduces the effect) and venting.  But, venting reduces or eliminates the noise reduction abilities of the plug.  I would suggest deeper plugs.  If you can't stand the plugs being in deep, or if you still can't get rid of the occlusion effect, it may be difficult to find a solution.  You probably won't want to wear hearing aids either if you have to sometime down the line
One solution might be to look for a quieter helmet.  You are probably sensitive to the vibrotactile effect of lower frequencies too.  Maybe try some ER-6i insert earphones.  They go deep, and effectively block noise.  They can deliver good sound without having to have the volume way up either.  Hope these suggestions work.

thanks scoop! just like putting my fingers in my ears, thats exactly what it is.  now i can adequately research it cause i havent come across that term before.  my helmet is fairly quiet, especially when the windscreens up, so very rarely do i experience discomfort, tinitus, or loud wind noise (i can usually hear my engine purr).  but i do recognize that it doesnt take much to cause damage over time, which is why i struggled with this and sometimes forced my self into agony with some plugs.  i will try your suggestions and am surprised this isnt more common.  

[R.Markus]

How many tickets are you likely to recieve for this, over the course of your riding life?  One?  Two?  

I'd write you one ticket for each ear.

[DogBoy]

I'd write you one ticket for each ear.

 

[GTS_Rider]

You are experiencing the occlusion effect.  That is what happens when we plug our ears.  Same thing happens when you plug your ears with your fingers.  The low frequency noise becomes, in effect, amplified...

Ha!, you got the scoop on that one, never *heard* that myself. Was about to post some reply about how it was impossible to make sound louder after putting plugs in your ears, but I reserved comment, and looks like I would have been shamed into retraction had I replied.

Anycase, the California law previously read almost exactly like the law posted earlier in this thread. Through a project started as I believe by local LABiker Marc Danziger, the law was actually changed. It now reads as follows, the only change really was removing the 'custom earplugs' aspect thereby opening the way for legal foamies. Still, for other states, you could argue that foam plugs *are* 'custom' because they expand to your ear canal and no two ears are alike...


(d) A person wearing personal hearing protectors in the form of earplugs or molds that are specifically designed to attenuate injurious noise levels. The plugs or molds shall be designed in a manner so as to not inhibit the wearer's ability to hear a siren or horn from an emergency vehicle or a horn from another motor vehicle.

 

[SpitfireTriple]

The Law is the Law but I go with the "What's your hearing worth compared to a couple of fines".  If I was in a particularly awkward mood I might even go to prison for a week rather than pay the fine.  No idea BTW whether earplugs are legal in Britain.  As far as I know, they are.

One thing though that no-one has mentioned:

If, as seems reasonable, the logic behind the earplug illegality is reduced ability to hear emergency sirens etc then....

How come car stereos are legal?

And don't say (not that anyone here would) "But you can turn a stereo off when you hear the siren...."
 I hope it's obvious where the flaw lies in that argument.

[Mr.Black]

The first 40 years of life included high powered weapons, as well as to many up front Grateful Dead concerts......... hmmmm? What? D'you say something? Sorry Folks.... couldn't resist. I never actually even thought of the whole earplug discusion, though in the HD club days, it probably wouldn't have been a bad idea, what with all the "loud pipe saves lives theory". Currently with the 1250 Bandit and full face, its nice and peacefull out there for me and my kids.  

[Snowbird]

Tell the officer to bag the earplugs as evidence. Tell the judge that the plugs enhance hearing and that he should put them in his ears and see for himself. He'll likely be repulsed at the thought and decline. Case dismissed for lack of evidence. (Oh, and while you ask the judge to see for himself, stand there wiggling your little finger in your ear like you have itchy mites inside.)