Possible hearing damage when driving your convertible

That’s right: if you have a convertible, you may suffer some minor hearing damage, according to a study published in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. It’s not that it’s something dangerous or serious, because when a metro train or a motorcycle passes within 8 metres it’s also risky.

Driving at 80, 96 and 113 km/h, they recorded a noise level of between 86 and 87 decibels on average, with a peak of 97 decibels. Other studies show that from 85 decibels onwards there is a certain risk of hearing damage, but in addition these researchers calculated that exposure to 97 dB of sound for 15 minutes already causes real damage. So they recommend driving the convertible with the windows up.

Factors such as speed, traffic conditions, the road surface, the city or particular situations can cause us to exceed those 15 minutes and actually suffer real hearing damage. The alternatives they propose are either reducing speed or wearing a motorcycle helmet. The truth is that it seems ridiculous to drive your convertible wearing a helmet.

I’m not entirely sure how realistic this study is; I myself have driven a convertible at that speed, however as soon as you walk into any nightclub you will exceed the time and decibel levels by far compared with the possible 15 minutes, depending on the traffic.

Source | Diariomotor