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? Or 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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RVDT2949
No, but my dog does.
Auugh!
Our golden is the 1st dog we have had that does not like to ride in a car. Bringing him home from the breeder 8 hours away, he vomited. Has never happened again. One-trial learning. He is now 7 years old. He doesn’t want to be left behind and rides just fine, but refuses to enter the car without a boost.
I got carsick all the time as a kid trying to read, play games, etc. I haven’t been physically ill since then, but I would never try to read a book in the car and too much time with maps can give me that “feeling”. Riding in the back seat on a twisty road will do it too. I also can get seasick, but airplanes don’t bother me. I’m super jealous of people who can read in the car!
I had the same problem when I was young. Our family doctor explained why.
He said that while moving, I should always look straight ahead if possible and not try to focus on things from the side. By looking out the side windows, things zipping by cause your brain to be confused, trying to focus on a fast moving object.
When reading while moving, your eyes still pick up that motion, peripheral vision, but you don’t realize it.
It’s like shaking your head back and forth quickly. You get dizzy.
I said no. But that does not mean it has never happened. A sinus or ear infection can affect your inner ear canals impacting balance and produce nauseousness. That or a bad burrito.
What is motion sickness? I was in the 10% of the ships crew that didn’t get sea sick, the rougher the weather the more I liked it. All the training and engineering drills were paused and we could just stand our routine watch.
I never used to have issues, even when traveling in a vehicle for 24 hours or more alternating as driver and passenger. But as I get older, I’m getting affected by motion after six to eight hours on the road.
No. But I used to when I was young. It wasn’t helped by my parents smoking in the car. (Ugh!) I will get seasick, though, if the motion of the boat is side to side.
I’ve been traveling since I was 9 months old, and carsickness has been a fact of life much of the time. I’ve learned a few things to reduce the likelihood of it – driving when I can (although a few rolling roads triggered it anyway), not reading, not looking down while turning, slowing. A bout with an infection and vertigo a few years back mean it’s easier to trigger now if I’m not very careful, and meds used in the past no longer work
I’ve been plagued with motion sickness since infancy. I never get sick when I’m driving but, if I’m the passenger, it nearly always happens — unless I’m wearing my Seabands (https://sea-band.com).
Thank you for the question, RV Travel. I have gotten carsick in the past, but not often. I rarely ride with someone and I invariably am the one driving. I think the driver usually is the one least likely sickened by the motion of a vehicle. Have a great day and safe travels!
As a kid yes often, but as an adult only when flying or working under the truck or RV.
I used to when I was pre-teen. I always got to ride in the front seat, that helped me survive. Mom always had 2 large coffee cans with us, one for vomit and one for urine. Six of us traveling in a 4 door sedan was always a huge challenge.