JACKSONVILLE , Fla. -- The freedom of the wind in your hair may be exhilarating to convertible lovers, but your ears may not love the sounds of the road.

Dr. Andrea Moore, an audiologist, said a new study out of England suggests riding in a convertible with the top down can cause long-term damage to your hearing.

"There are a lot of sounds we expose ourselves to that are usually very benign but are actually above safe listening level," Moore said. "It depends on how long you're riding in that convertible. So it may take many years, whereas one person may be exposed to one gunshot, whereas the impact at that level can cause permanent damage with one shot."

Channel 4's Scott Johnson spoke to several convertible owners, and all of them defended their driving habits.

"I don't think it's bad," one owner said. "If you're standing in strong wind, it's the same. Personally, I haven't experienced where the wind was really rushing into my ears."

Even after the convertible owners were told about the study, they said they'll still keep driving with the top down.

"The whole reason I got it is so I can bring the top down, so i'm not going to stop now," one owner said.

Moore said often where hearing loss is concerned, you don't notice until it's gone.

"Most of the time when you're exposed to noise levels over a period of time, it's a very insidious loss that occurs," Moore said. "Very high frequency is lost, but people don't notice because it's not the volume."