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Why you don’t get motion sickness while driving, but do as a passenger
If you suffer from motion sickness, car, plane and boat journeys are probably hell, but have you ever noticed that you don’t get it while driving?
You regularly feel like you’re about to vomit while being a passenger, but as soon as you’re behind the wheel, the sickness goes away – and there’s a reason why.
Why you don’t get motion sickness while driving
We spoke to medical professional Dr. Ashwin Sharma, who told The Focus the differences in motion sickness all come down to the way you’re focusing on the road as a driver, but doing other activities as a passenger.
“Motion sickness occurs when there’s a mismatch between the sensory signals your brain perceives,” he explained. “As a driver, you’re constantly observing the road, anticipating turns, and adjusting to the movements of the vehicle.”
This means your eyes, inner ear (which helps control balance), and muscles are all receiving and sending messages about your movement consistently, which helps your brain make sense of the motion. This reduces the likelihood of feeling sick.
“However, your attention as a passenger may not be on the road. Other activities like reading or operating a smartphone make your eyes communicate information that is conflicting to what your inner ear and the body senses,” he continued.
This mismatch confuses your brain, which results in the horrible symptoms of motion sickness such as dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.
“Basically, the driver’s engagement and control over the vehicle serve to coordinate sensory perceptions and actions in a manner that prevents the occurrence of motion sickness in the first place,” he concluded.
How to ease motion sickness
To ease the negative effects of motion sickness, the NHS recommends these natural methods:
- Reduce motion, for example by sitting in the front of a car or in the middle of a boat
- Look straight ahead at a fixed point, such as the horizon
- Breathe fresh air if possible, for example by opening a car window
- Close your eyes and breathe slowly while focusing on your breathing
- Distract yourself by talking or another activity
- Break up long journeys to get some fresh air, drink water or take a walk
- Eat ginger, which can be taken as a tablet, biscuit or tea
Avoid reading, watching films or using electronic devices as this can make the sickness worse. Do not look at moving objects, such as passing cars or rolling waves either, and do not eat heavy meals or spicy foods before travelling.
A pharmacist can provide tablets, patches and acupressure bands to help with motion sickness.
Dr. Ashwin Sharma (MBChB) is a qualified medical doctor who currently works as the Medical Communications Manager at ZipHealth. He gained his medical degree from the University of Leicester.
