You do not want to hear it from the back seat: “I do not feel so good.” These words put everyone (especially parents) in a car sharp, because it means that very quickly somewhere must be stopped to ensure that the nausea is not (literally) spread throughout the car. Car sickness is a problem that mainly occurs in children and teenagers, but that the last few years is increasingly strengthened because there are so many entertainment options for the back of the car.
Watching a movie or playing games on a smart device or game device contributes extra to motion sickness. The reason is that the organ of balance sees a movement, but the eyes of the passenger report that there is no movement. That contradicts each other and then our brain says “we are poisoned, otherwise this is not possible”. The body will then try to discharge the toxins, causing you to sweat, yawn and if that does not work, eventually surrender. That is a natural security system and there is not much to do, except to relieve the symptoms. This is what researchers from TNO who have worked with Ford to fathom fighter disease and, if possible, reduce it.
Keeping the road in the picture
During the first TNO tests, it turned out that (adult) volunteers started to get nauseous after ten minutes, while looking at a screen. However, when the screens were mounted higher and the road was visible on both sides, volunteers felt less sick. In subsequent experiments, alternative ways are explored that show the trajectory in the interior so that passengers who can not see anything can be warned about winding roads or high bridges. Things like a heads-up display can help, because you get a feeling for the movement that you (sometimes only subconsciously) feel but do not see.
A similar initiative plays with several automakers, such as Citroën with the anti-car sick glasses that let you feel the movement of the car through liquids. However, Ford would like you to have the solution in the car yourself, so that you as a passenger are always assured of a sense of the movement of the car. That will also become increasingly important in the future: in a self-driving car everybody is a passenger. It could well be that a large number of people are susceptible to motion sickness but never knew because in 99.9 percent of the cases they are themselves behind the wheel. That can also explain why they do not always realize that their driving style can have a significant contribution to car sickness. As Professor Dr. Jelte Bos from TNO says: “For many drivers who think their child has problems with motion sickness, the cause can simply be that the child has problems with their driving style .” That said, according to the professor, there are a number of things you can do to minimize the risk of car sickness.
6 tips against motion sickness
- If you suffer, sit in the middle of the rear seat, or preferably in the front, to see the road ahead
- Drive as a driver calmly and avoid sudden braking if possible, fast erect and pits in the road
- Train carick persons, even sing a song can help
- Drink cola, eat ginger cookies, but avoid (five hours prior to the ride) coffee
- Use a pillow or head support to to keep the head as stable as possible
- Switch on the air conditioner so that fresh air keeps circulating
An extra tip that the professor does not report, but goes back to the reason that it occurs more and more is of course not all the time staring at a screen. In any case, look every few minutes around and around so that you know you are driving. And take a bag with you, just for safety.