Helmet bad for a biker’s health?

Wearing a crash helmet is essential to a biker’s safety but could it actually be harming their health and affecting their riding? That is what academics from the Bath university are investigating in a new research project.

The team will take on-road measurements to find how noise is transmitted through a helmet and how it affects the rider’s hearing and ability to concentrate. “The noise inside the helmet at the legal speed of 110kmph is high enough to cause serious hearing damage,” said Carley.

“The issue isn’t noisy engines but rather the airflow over the helmet.”

“Ear plugs won’t help much either as the noise is transferred into the inner ear from the rider’s bones. This has been known for years yet little research has been done on its effects.”

The lab study will be split into two parts; the first will involve applying low level vibration to people’s heads to examine how the noise is transmitted through the the helmet to the head.

Carley said: “We already know that the noise passes to the ear partly through air and partly through the rider’s bones. To reduce hearing damage we must establish which route.”
The next part includes playing noise back to subjects while they do cognitive tests. Riding a motorcycle requires great concentration; anything that reduces it may lead to accidents. The project will will run for a year.

“This isn’t about putting people off wearing helmets; it’s about finding ways to reduce this damage so that riders can have a better experience,” added Holt.