Kids & ear protection - again....

[bella]

Originally Posted by thebullet

After about 10 Minutes there was a full scale wrestling match on, so if they aren't going to watch the racing why bring them?

even better, they bring them, in most cases pay for their tickets... and then whine about the price of admission

[thebullet]

Excellent! lol

[nickyf1]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Pitlanes get opened up for access at lunchtime at BTCC

hmmm not at knockhil....

EDIT: oh thats because there are no garages.....

[Sheila M]

Seen today at GP Live - a party of children from the local primary school - NOT ONE of them had any ear protection.

[djb]

Originally Posted by rcarr

By the age of 6 or 7, I was fine with the noise, my ears became used to it.

they shook the entire pit grandstand when they drove past but I wasn't personally effected by the noise.

I am now a little deaf, maybe due to being around noisy racing cars all of my life?

My fiancees nephew is very sensitive to "loud" noises like me shouting and the dog barking, he starts crying when ever something happens. I told my fiancee that he is a wimp and should go and stand next to a F1 car when it starts up, then he'll learn what loud is.

OK matey, I'm gonna take your bait, but as a "manly man" you can take it.....and I'll be polite...

this "getting used to" and/or if you can't, you're a wimp" attitude is out of date, whether at a race track or in a factory, persistant exposure to noise over "X" decibels has an accumulative effect on ones heariing. Don't know about the UK, but here in Canada, there are workplace norms that are there for a reason. I have been in many factories, from pulp and paper mills to sugar plants to whatever with my work, and the older workers there have buggered hearing, its that simple.

Just as the attitudes towards seatbelts or cigarette smoke have changed, backed up by stats and proper studies, hearing affected by noise levels has nothing to do with getting used to it or having tougher eardrums.

I'm sorry, but attitudes change. I should make a point that I love the wail of a scrumptious engine on song as much as the next 10/10ther, I've been to F1 races, spent time on CART, LMS and Lemans pitlanes, and I had motorcycles, even raced a bit, still get a high from redlining a bike engine in each and every gear...

but I have also spent the whole day in a paper factory or a lumber mill, with proper ear protection, and still come out of there with my head ringing, wondering how the people who work there day in and day out deal with it, and the longterm effects--and especially the guys there who have been around when there was no concern about noise levels.

so, yes, I just can't understand seeing parents with young children at races with no ear protection--just plain irresponsible in todays world (not to mention plain common sense)

rant over

[zefarelly]

I've started wearing ear plugs when driving (a relatively quiet saloon car!) and Arthur my son has been wearing monkey muffs ( in a fetching shade of flouro yellow) since his first meeting aged 7 weeks . . . he knows no different and is quite happy with them on.

it should be an obvious thing for parents to do, but then given the idiocy of some people in breeding an ever increasing plebian society nothing suprises me any more

[zac510]

rcarr, would you stare at a solar eclipse for 15 minutes?

[Charlies]

I find it annoying when people are reckless to appear 'rebellious' or 'cool'. It's one thing when it's your own health, but when it's someone else's, especially a child's, it's doubly depressing.

[davyboy]

I wonder whether circuits would consider supplying earplugs free of charge on entry to anyone who wants them... or put another way, would they be wise to consider doing so in order to protect themselves from potential legal action from someone less aware of how loud some cars and karts are.

[SZRacer]

Found this an interesting thread!

My son, who's still only nine months old, has already been to three race meetings to watch his dad.

First thing i did is bought him some of these:

http://www.kidshearingprotection.co.uk/

When he's old enough to decide to ruin his own hearing, fine. Until then, I decide! Being hard of hearing is not particularly 'cool' or 'manly'.....


Regards,

James

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by davyboy

I wonder whether circuits would consider supplying earplugs free of charge on entry to anyone who wants them... or put another way, would they be wise to consider doing so in order to protect themselves from potential legal action from someone less aware of how loud some cars and karts are.

I think circuits should mak sure ear plugs are available, but they should stop short of supplying them free of charge.

It should remain the responsibility of the individual to protect themselves however they see fit. Keep minding people and eventually no one will think for themselves. They won't judge for themselves when to wear ear protection (or any other kind of protection ).

Let us keep the responsibility with the individual.
(obviously for a minor that responsibility should fall to the parent).

I recommend proper ear defenders rather than plugs. This allows you to listen to the radio underneath the protection.

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by AdamAshmore

I think circuits should mak sure ear plugs are available, but they should stop short of supplying them free of charge.

It should remain the responsibility of the individual to protect themselves however they see fit. Keep minding people and eventually no one will think for themselves. They won't judge for themselves when to wear ear protection (or any other kind of protection ).

Its an interesting one. I don't think anyone's yet brought a case against a circuit for damage to their hearing, or their child's hearing, but its not beyond the realms of probability. If circuits are aware that hearing damage could ensue from young children spectating, then there is a certain degree of responsibility on them to either ban kids from attending venues, reduce the noise or supply some form of protection as part of the ticket price. Airlines don't charge extra for kids' safety belts on planes... for a reason.

Having said that, everyone on this forum is well aware of the dangers and should first and foremost protect their kids, whatever the cost... no excuses !

[Suze]

I may be wrong, but didn't WSR at Donington last year provide free ear plugs? As AA says, if they're not free, they should be easily available.

[NAC]

Originally Posted by AdamAshmore

I recommend proper ear defenders rather than plugs. This allows you to listen to the radio underneath the protection.

Or even better yet proper ear muff with a Radio built in them. I have 3 pair and always take them to the track for both myself and clients. The main reason I take them is because with normal radio headsets you just can’t hear what’s going on. I took my 8 year old son the Pukekohe (Auckland NZ) round of the V8 Supercars and he did not want to take them off and it kept him entertained (no throwing balls around here)

The ones I have are the 3M 1510, link

[TheNewBob]

I have problems with my hearing, partly due to motorsport but mostly from other reasons. With motorsports its something thats happened over time, since there is only one occasion where I've really gone "ouch" at the noise levels, which was stood at the Melbourne Hairpin at Donington in '04 during the FIA GT race.

I choose not to wear ear protection simply because I love the sound, and partly because I've always known I'll still struggle to hear properly weather I've attended a race day or not. Thats probably a bad thing, but I don't feel uncomfortable with the noise - if it started to become uncomfortable then I'd do something about it, because I know I'd be at risk of further damage.

But it confirms the point made by SZRacer - "Being hard of hearing is not particularly cool or manly" - I know this very well, I forever feel like I'm annoying people when I have to ask them to repeat something numerous times. I've lived with it for most of my life and wouldn't wish it upon anyone.

But when a screaming Murcielago R-GT passes by followed by a thundering Corvette C6.R - there's no chance I'll wear any ear plugs! The sound is just too glorious!

[Suze]

That's your choice and I respect that, but you can make that decision for yourself [whether others think it's right or wrong!]. It's different for a child.

[zac510]

Originally Posted by NAC

The ones I have are the 3M 1510, link

They're great - just wish they did AM!

[zefarelly]

20 years of playing in rock bands and riding noisy 2 strokes, followed by racing cars . . . . I'll need a bigger bass amp in another ten years whatever !

most of our racing is at a sensiblle volume, but some GT/F1 cars are crazy loud, and a not very pleasant experience up close, especially some yank tanks at LEMAns which seem to be designe specifically to be big and loud rather than fast and efficient!

[bella]

Originally Posted by Suze

I may be wrong, but didn't WSR at Donington last year provide free ear plugs? As AA says, if they're not free, they should be easily available.

you're wrong , it was the wsr at the nurburgring. at donington the freebie was a (very handy) fm radio to drown out the noise of the cars...

[Suze]

ah well....at least I knew it was WSR! Thanks for the correction

[NAC]

Originally Posted by zac510

They're great - just wish they did AM!

AM, what's that

[MonkeyDeath]

sorry to revive an old thread, but dose anyone know of any good ear defenders that havea built in radio that would be able to tune into the track radio for the commentry?