Car sickness affects nearly one in five road users - and reading is the main cause

Nearly a fifth of road users suffer from car sickness, a new survey has shown.

According to an RAC poll, 18% of car users experience nausea or sickness when travelling – the equivalent of 7.3 million people.

Sitting in the back seat appears to be the worst place for motion sickness, with 75% of sufferers saying that is the main place they feel unwell.

The top reason people gave for feeling sick is reading in the car (61%), followed by using a tablet or phone (50%), winding country roads (37%) and a lack of fresh air (32%).

More than a third of drivers (37%) say they have had to take a break as a result of someone feeling unwell in their car, with 2% having to abandon journeys or avoid them altogether.

Nearly a quarter of drivers (24%) said they used to suffer from car sickness, but later grew out of the condition.

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The RAC surveyed 1,990 UK drivers for the research.

Rod Dennis, a spokesman for the firm, said: “While car sickness is often associated with younger children, our research suggests it still remains a problem for a substantial number of older drivers and passengers.

“Even if a driver doesn’t suffer sickness themselves, they could suffer some unfortunate consequences if they cause any of their passengers to become unwell simply because they are accelerating or braking too sharply.”

The RAC’s top tips for reducing car sickness include ditching tablets and phones, maintaining a steady flow of fresh air, having a light meal before travelling and driving smoothly – especially on country roads.