Motion Sickness May Rise in Fully Driverless Cars

Burney Simpson

Remember this the next time the designers roll out one of those beautiful driverless concept cars that look like James Bond’s bedroom – somewhere around one-quarter and one-half of people worldwide are likely to feel an increase in motion sickness while riding in a fully driverless vehicle.

Symptoms for motion sickness? Anything from slight dizziness to vertigo and vomiting. It’s good you won’t be busy driving the vehicle as you may well be cleaning it up.

In the U.S., 37 percent of driverless vehicle passengers will experience an increase in the frequency and severity of motion sickness; in China, it’s 40 percent; in India, more than half, 53 percent; in Japan, 26 percent; in Australia, nearly 30 percent; and in the U.K., 28 percent.

The findings come from the report ‘Motion Sickness in Self-Driving Vehicles’ by Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI).

This report is built upon a survey of 3,255 adults in six countries that asked what they would do in a fully driverless vehicle instead of driving. (Carnegie Mellon researchers conducted a similar survey recently, see “What Will You Do in Your Driverless Car?“) The next step was comparing those responses against the common causes of vehicle motion sickness.

The UMTRI researchers found that many people plan to be taking part in those activities that increase the frequency and severity of motion sickness, activities like reading, texting, working, playing a game, or watching a movie. Gazing downwards while conducting these actions can make it worse.

Motion sickness is caused by sensory conflicts between a person’s visual and vestibular systems, that is, what you are seeing and your sense of balance. People may also experience motion sickness when they are unable to anticipate the direction they are going, and lack of control over the direction.

A number of driverless researchers have looked at addressing these issues. They have suggested using large, transparent windows, positioning video screens so the passenger is looking straight ahead when viewing, and installing fully reclining seats that allow for laying down flat.

However, the best way to avoid motion sickness is sleeping, an activity that many passengers may enjoy in a fully driverless car if commutes continue to get worse.