We all know motorcycle helmets are a life saving piece of kit, but are they contributing to hearing loss?
A study undertaken by the University of Bath looked into the airflow and noise patterns inside the helmet to assess what damage (if any) was being done.  The roar of a Harley Davidson is loud, but recent studies announce the biggest source of noise for motorcyclists is actually generated by air whooshing over the rider’s helmet.
Researches from the University of Bath placed helmets on mannequin’s heads, taped microphones on the mannequin (to measure exactly what levels of noise could be heard and where it was generated from) and placed the mannequin in a wind tunnel.  One conclusion from the study found the largest amount of noise was generated by an area near the chin bar of the helmet.
Further research is to be done on real life riders on the open road, which one day may be used to develop quieter helmets.