10-08-2009, 12:35 PM
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Administrator
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 108
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Driving a convertible car can seriously damage your ears
Driving a convertible car can seriously damage your ears, experts have warned.
Cruising with the top down at speeds of 50-70mph (80-112km/h) exposes the ears to sound levels sometimes nearing those made by a pneumatic drill, they argue.
Long or repeated exposure to this noise of the engine, road, traffic and wind could cause permanent hearing loss, a US meeting of ENT experts was told.
Researchers said convertible drivers should consider wearing some form of ear protection, as motorcyclists do.
The research has been published in the journal Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.
In the study, noise levels immediately to the left and right of the driver were measured while travelling at different speeds.
At 50, 60 and 70 miles per hour, the noise reached between 88 and 90 decibels - higher than the generally agreed 85 decibel threshold level at which permanent hearing damage becomes a risk.
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Read more at BBC NEWS | Health | Convertibles 'bad for the ears'
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