Does driving high speeds with the windows open damage our ears in the same way really loud music does?

Question

Does driving high speeds with the windows open damage our ears in the same way really loud music does?

In: Biology

Answer 1

In short. Yes.

In a bit longer way, yes. Motorcycles have this issue as well. The motorcyclist after a few years on the road starts getting some hearing loss, and while at first some assumed it was the engine, measurements show that in highway speeds wind easily surpasses 100+ decibels, which is well within the “damage” threshold. Add a couple of hours of that constantly, and you have a perfect recipe for tinnitus.

With cars you could get a tiny bit of absorption because of the…well…windshield, but that bwop bwop bwop that occurs in rapid fire is still pretty much as damaging as.