Hearing Protection and Snowmobiles

It’s important to drive safely and protect yourself from the cold, but did you know that you also need to protect your ears from the noise of these vehicles? People tend to snowmobile for many hours, which means their ears don’t get a rest and they’re hearing the noise of the engines and the wind for long periods of time.

Exposure to high noise levels can irreversibly damage hearing. When you’re exposed to noise above 85 dB for 8 hours, you’re at risk of gradual hearing loss. According to Quebec legislation, “No snowmobile built after January 1, 1972 shall produce a sound intensity in excess of 82 dB.”¹

According to Motoneige Québec magazine,² studies have shown that a snowmobile travelling 25 km/h at a distance of 15.2 m (50 ft.) produces between 68 and 73 dB. When the snowmobile is 60.8 m (200 ft.) away, the noise level drops to just 29–35 dB, well below the average noise level in a house in the evening (47 dB). Sound barriers (like snowbanks and trees) can further drop the sound level by up to 20 dB.

The noise level perceived by the ears depends on several factors like speed, exposure time and type of snowmobile. Because drivers are less than a metre from the vehicle, they should be wearing hearing protectors. The risk of hearing damage is high without hearing protection, even if the driver is wearing a helmet that muffles ambient noise.

Some snowmobilers modify their vehicles to make the engine roar louder, which is strongly not recommended since it increases the risk of hearing loss.

• Wear custom moulded hearing protectors
• Have your hearing assessed before snowmobile season
• Avoid modifying snowmobiles to increase engine noise
• Buy a helmet that meets the standards
• Choose four-stroke engines

Feel free to make an appointment with an audioprosthetist to assess your hearing protection needs for the snowmobile season.