Danger: top down.
Say what? A new study finds that driving too fast – and for too long – with the top down on your convertible can damage your hearing.
And even if you’re not driving all that fast, running alongside a truck, motorcycle or muscle car can expose you to “noise spikes” loud enough to do permanent damage, according to the Journal Laryngology and Otology, which reports on the medical science of hearing.
Testing a variety of different convertibles, researchers found that in 80% of them noise levels hit maximum levels of 85 decibels or greater at speeds of 55 mph. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health says prolonged exposure to noise at that level can be damaging. And the louder the sound the shorter the recommended exposure.
At 75 mph, the journal reports, the mean sound level shot to 89.9 decibels. Since noise is measured logarithmically, that’s about triple the danger level of 85 dB.
Meanwhile, the study found that sound levels can spike, for example, if a truck or motorcycle passes by. And because motorists need to turn up the volume to hear a radio over the ambient wind noise that can further exacerbate the problem.
“Although driving for short distances under such levels of noise exposure is unlikely to cause a significant degree of noise-induced hearing loss,” said Dr. A. A. Mikulec, from the Saint Louis University School of Medicine, “our study demonstrates that long duration driving at high speeds with the convertible top open will increase the driver’s risk of hearing damage.”
The authors of the study recommend that barring the use of ear plugs or some other form of hearing protection, motorists keep the speed of their convertible down below 53 mph if the top is down.