Motion sickness is incredibly common. In fact, about one-third of people are highly susceptible to it, and most others will experience it under the right (or wrong) conditions. A study from ScienceDirect found that 46% of people have gotten carsick in the past five years alone, and that number jumps to 59% when looking across their whole lifetime. Some people are especially prone to it due to factors like age, genetics, or sensitivity to visual and balance cues, according to MedlinePlus.
So what about you? Do you get carsick? Do you get more carsick in a car than in a motorhome, if you travel in one? Do winding mountain roads get to you more than the flat stretches? Does it hit when you glance down at your phone, a paper map, or when you’re trying to read something?
For some, it’s all about where you sit. Riding in the front seat of a car or near the front of a motorhome can help, while sitting in the back tends to make things worse. Fresh air, cool temperatures, and looking out the window at a stable point on the horizon can all reduce symptoms. On the flip side, stuffy air, strong smells, or stop-and-go traffic can bring on nausea fast.
And let’s not forget the RV twist. Some RVers say they feel fine when riding in the cab of their motorhome, but not so great in the back, where the bumps and sways are more pronounced. Others find that forward-facing seats help, while rear-facing or sideways seats are a quick path to queasiness.
We’re curious about your experience. After you vote, feel free to leave a comment and tell us when motion sickness strikes—or what tricks you’ve found to avoid it. Thanks for weighing in!
For those of you who do get carsick or motion sick, try these glasses. They work (we’ve used them!) and they’ve changed the lives of motion-sick people around the world.
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RVDT2688
I have gotten carsick my entire life. I am so jealous of people who can read while riding in a car! I can do short stints of looking at maps, or reading but never for a long time. GPS has been a life saver for someone who is supposed to be the navigator.
No, when I was in the Navy, the rougher the weather, the better I liked it. I never got motion sick. Wife was a different matter, she is getting better now as we age.
I only get motion sickness if I try reading something while moving. Funny that if I’m in an airplane taxiing I can’t read things lest I immediately get motion sickness. As soon as I’m airborne with no more visual references, all is well and I can read.
With two exceptions I don’t get motion sickness. The two exceptions are if I am already sick and have a touchy stomach; and scuba diving in salt (not fresh) water. Even a trace of salt water nearly always upsets my gut. Inevitably after getting back on the boat after the first of a two dive set I’m feeding the fish. And then I am fine for the second dive and the trip back to port. Have never figured it out.
It never used to bother me, but now that I’m older I’m bothered by lots of turns and curves when riding, never when driving. I would never get seasick when sailing, although it would take a while to get my land legs back, also as I got older. I guess the trick is not to get older, but I don’t like the alternative! 🙂
YES. As a young kid I was always the one to get carsick. One bonus: I got to sit in the front seat more often. Over the years I learned to manage it. Now later in life, I just usually get behind the wheel and drive instead of riding with anyone else.
When I was a kid, our entire extended family would go “up north” for a two week vacation. Many afternoons the adults would bar-hop to out of the way places. My dad loved to drive on old logging roads to go place to place. Back in the fifties there was no AC in cars and temps were often in the 90s. First, one kid would spew their lunch of cheese popcorn and grape soda, then the next, and the next. I still can’t stand the smell of either one!
Spent many hours in the back seat of the family station wagon as a kid and never got carsick, but my sister did. Spent many hours as an adult in single-engine planes, helicopters, and small boats and never got airsick or seasick, but my wife did. Once, while flying in a single-engine plane over an Alaska mountain pass in very low cloud-cover, a former pilot riding as a passenger got airsick, but I didn’t. But then, as a pilot, he likely knew how much danger we were really in, while I was oblivious and just enjoying the scenery.
I’ve experienced motion sickness ever since I was an infant. I haven’t experienced it while driving but always do if I ride in the back seat or if I’m riding with a “jerky” or pedal-pumping driver. If riding in the front isn’t an option, I make sure that I look ahead in the distance. I never try to read anything. Also, I wear Sea-Bands acupressure wrist bands on both wrists. If I need to read something while I’m driving, I stop. After already becoming sick, I chew ginger gum and/or drink a Coke. Carnival rides are totally NOT in the picture!!
As a kid – I was sick most of the time in the back seat. As a teenager I got airsick on the Civil Air Patrol flight in a medium twin to Winnipeg from ND – it was hot and I couldn’t see out. As a pilot I have never gotten sick! Today, riding in a PU doing a township road inspection and trying to make notes – the head spins a bit – not sick but close. I did suffer a vertigo attack at home just talking to my wife and standing by the kitchen sink – all of sudden the room started spinning – ended up in the emergency room with that one! (If it had happened when flying or driving probably ended up at the morgue!). Dr. said a crystal broke loose in my head or ear!
My wife has a form of motion sickness few people even know it exists, she gets real drowsy and will fall asleep. However it doesn’t affect her when we’re on cruises. We have a friend who suffers so badly with this form of motion sickness his parents worried about him getting a driver’s license. He’s fine as long as he’s driving.
When I was a kid I got carsick somewhat easily. As I got older, it eased. Once I started driving it mostly went away. almost never happens anymore, unless i read too long.
I never got seasick or car sick. I am however sick of cars as I’m a retired auto mechanic.
Thank you for the question, RV Travel! I rarely get car sick. About 10 days ago we were driving to Hatcher Pass and I got car sick from the front passenger seat. I was trying to read aloud information from The Milepost to DW and finally had to stop. Generally? No. Sometimes? Yes. Have a great day and safe travels!
As a kid I never got carsick-but boy did my little sister! On EVERY trip 🙁 As an adult, I do get carsick when I sit in a small backseat with no view and a zoomy driver. On a bus sometimes not always. (Thailand bus drivers are so terrifying I had to thrown up out a window as they wouldn’t stop!!) smaller class B no issues…so far.
Funny but true story
Several years ago, I was given a German Shepard from a girl I had recently met. She informed me that the dog always got sick when riding in her car. I saw her a few weeks later and informed her that after many rides in my car that the dog never got sick. A few days later she gave me a ride to pick up a car and I almost got sick.
🤣 Thanks, Bob! Have a good night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
I get terribly nauseous if I attempt to read anything while being a passenger, book or on the phone. The same goes for very upndown hilly roads.