Soft Top Drivers Ruining Hearing

Publication Date: Thursday, October 08, 2009

Motorists who drive their convertible with the top down could suffer from serious hearing problems, according to research.
A study from New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton found that the combined noise of the engine, wheels, air and traffic can reach a peak of 99 decibels and could cause serious hearing loss.
If the prospect of paying more for your car insurance wasn't bad enough, your hearing may also suffer significantly too.
Scientists have found that motorists driving a convertible at 50, 60 and 70mph were consistently exposed to between 88 and 90 decibels of noise.
Philip Michael, who led the research, said: "Long or repeated exposure to sounds over 85 decibels is widely recognised to cause permanent hearing loss."
One remedy for people unwilling to give up the joys of top-down motoring is keeping the car windows raised, said the researchers.
This could significantly reduce noise exposure levels to 82 decibels.
The research was presented at the 2009 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation annual meeting in San Diego, California.