Christmas pressies that make us sick

Popular Christmas gift gadgets designed to keep passengers entertained increase risk of carsickness

As more than 2.3 million Brits¹ have either received or given in-car entertainment and technology systems such as DVD players and Sat Nav's² this Christmas, could the nation be heading for car sick chaos?

A new scientific study, entitled 'Motors in Motion'³, by esure car insurance and Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) reveals that far from keeping motorists focused and restless passengers entertained, digital devices increase the likelihood of carsickness by creating a conflicting sense of balance - just like reading books or maps in moving cars.

The motion sensed by the eyes gives the impression that watching a small display with moving images is in fact not moving; however it is the organs of balance in the inner ear which indicate that they are moving. This combined with the motion of a moving and braking car creates a highly unnatural feeling for humans that 'tricks' the brain into reacting as if poisoning has occurred. Motion sickness is thought to be the result of a mechanism that evolved to rid the body of poison - even though none are present⁴.

With around 40 per cent of the population¹ affected by carsickness, esure teamed up with TRL to see what causes so many people to suffer from motion sickness and what the best preventative methods are. Feeling unwell at the wheel can affect a motorist's concentration and sick passengers are a distraction for those driving - both could increase the likelihood of accidents on British roads.

Unfortunately it's bad news for parents looking for peace at the wheel. The report reveals that a third (33 per cent) of Brits have vomited in a car by the time they reach the age of 12⁵. This age group is highly susceptible to carsickness and is also likely to be the largest users of in-car entertainment devices.

Worse still is that the 'Motors in Motion' report also reveals that traditional games, long considered 'remedies' for carsickness requiring children to watch objects in the passing scenery such as I Spy, Count the Cows and Spot the Car, may actually make things worse. This is due to the fact that carsickness tends to be greater when the head is free to move, whereas a stable head position reduces its likelihood⁶.

This means that restless, fidgety kids and impatient passengers in the backseat are the most likely to suffer as maintaining a fixed head position and an unobstructed forward view are the best way to avoid the sense of carsickness.

With 37 per cent of those polled already owning a Sat Nav system and a further 11 per cent having either received one or given one as a gift this Christmas, it is bad news for the driver as well, with the report showing that it is not just the passenger at risk from 'modern technology motion sickness'. Drivers using satellite navigation systems are also more susceptible to motion sickness due to increased head movement.

Mike Pickard, Head of Risk and Underwriting at esure car insurance comments: "As well as being an inconvenience, carsickness can be dangerous especially if it causes the driver to avert their attention away from the road. With handheld games and in-car gadgetry being popular gifts this Christmas, motorists should be aware of potential 'side-effects' of in-car entertainment.

Drivers and passengers need to understand what steps to take to prevent carsickness in order to make their journeys more pleasant and the roads safer."

Dr Cyriel Diels, Human Factors researcher at TRL added: "Parents will often spend a large amount of money on in-car entertainment items such as hand-held consoles and DVD players to make long journeys more endurable. Yet it is these items that actually increase the risk of carsickness. Parents should be aware of this, especially if their children are prone to car sickness.

The best advice is to try and prevent it from happening in the first place by following some simple steps. However, if you do begin to feel sick, it's best to focus on the horizon, breath slowly and deeply, and if possible, take a break from your journey, as remedies such as acupressure bands, sucking a sweet and opening car windows just won't work."

Key findings from the 'Motors in Motion' report:

In-vehicle entertainment systems increase the likelihood of carsickness⁷
A third (33 per cent) of people have vomited in cars by the time they reach the age of 12⁵; making children aged 2 to 12 most susceptible to suffering. This age group is also the largest user of in-car entertainment devices
Common 'remedies' such as opening the window for fresh air, acupressure bands, use of root ginger or even the old classic of 'sucking a sweet' are all unproven solutions
A smooth driving style not only reduces fuel consumption but reduces the likelihood of carsickness

Practical tips to prevent passengers from feeling carsick:

The leading recommendation for avoiding in-car queasiness is to maintain a clear view of the road ahead. If possible, sit in the front seat and look forward at the horizon rather than sideways. If there isn't a clear view of the road, it is advisable for passengers to keep their eyes closed
Allow small children on the rear seats a good view by raising the height of the child and find a position where the forward view is not obstructed by a seat or a head restraint
Some sufferers may find it beneficial to wear sunglasses as they reduce visual stimulation
Avoid games that require passengers to look inside the car, such as hand-held video consoles, especially with children who are particularly susceptible to motion sickness
Never travel on an empty stomach, but avoid heavy meals before travelling and stay clear of nauseating foods such as sweets, fatty or spicy foods and sour fruits
Storytelling, question-and-answer games, listening to audio books or having a sing-along are all effective methods of keeping passengers entertained rather than nauseous. Avoid reading and writing
Driving on fairly straight roads and avoiding windy roads will reduce the risk of motion sickness, so it's advisable to choose a route of motorways and dual carriageways where possible. Take regular breaks throughout the journey
Avoid aggressive driving, such as excessive acceleration, braking and cornering, as this triggers nausea - particularly for rear-seat passengers. Maintain a smooth driving style
Avoid travelling at high temperatures. Make sure the air conditioning is set to a comfortable temperature
Fresh air itself is not sufficient to prevent motion sickness, but the provision of good ventilation can make people feel more comfortable so open the windows
Controlled regular breathing can help to increase motion tolerance

-ends-

esure's press contacts:

For further information please contact the esure press office at Mischief PR on 020 7100 9999 or email esure@mischiefpr.com
An ISDN line is available for radio interviews

Notes to editors:

esure used the independent online research company Fly Research which interviewed a random sample of 1,012 drivers aged 18+ between 20th and 24th November 2008. Interviews were conducted across the UK via an online questionnaire. Fly Research is an online market research company. Its researchers are members of the MRS and Esomar, and abide by their guidelines. Further information at www.flyresearch.com. 2.3 million Brits is an estimation based on 39 per cent of the resident population in the UK being 60,975,000 in mid-2007 http://www.statistics.gov.uk
Examples included Sat Nav, i-pod, PSP, Nintendo DS and portable DVD player
The 'Motors in Motion' report was compiled by Transport Research Laboratory as commissioned by esure. A PDF of the full report is available here.
Stott, J. R. R. (1986). Mechanisms and Treatment of Motion Illness. In C. J. Davis, G. V. Lake-Bakaar & D. G. Grahame-Smith (Eds.), Nausea and Vomiting: Mechanisms and Treatment (1 ed., pp. 110-129). Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
Griffin, M.J. (1990). Motion Sickness. In: Handbook of Human Vibration (1st Edition). Academic Press. Note: Reference 4=5.
Cheung & Nakashima 2006, A review on the effects of frequency of oscillation on motion sickness.
Kato & Kitazaki, 2008 (Improvement of Ease of Viewing Images on an In-vehicle Display and Reduction of Carsickness).

About esure:

esure was launched in 2001. The company offers car, home, pet and travel insurance over the internet and by phone. esure also offers car insurance cover through the brands Halifax, Sainsbury’s, Sheilas’ Wheels and more recently home insurance through the Sheilas’ Wheels brand.

About TRL:

TRL provides independent and impartial world class research, consultancy, advice and testing for all aspects of transport
Originally established in 1933 as part of the UK Government, TRL privatised in 1996 to become a fully independent private company. TRL is wholly owned by the Transport Research Foundation (TRF), a non-profit distributing foundation with no share holders, enabling profits made by TRL to be passed to TRF and re-invested in scientific research. TRF is comprised of over 80 sector members from the transport industry ensuring TRL continues to undertake the high quality research it is renowned for
TRL is committed to working with a wide range of customers in both the public and private sectors to create the future of transport. Our 500 staff, many of whom are world recognised experts, work at the cutting edge of transport, generating innovative solutions to customers on a wide range of projects from transportation to safety and environmental issues, risk and infrastructure management to simulation and testing.

About Dr Cyriel Diels, Human Factors researcher at TRL:

Author, Dr Cyriel Diels, has a scientific background in Psychonomics and vision. Following his Masters from Utrecht University (the Netherlands), he studied self-motion perception and motion sickness at Loughborough University and was awarded a PhD in Human Biology in 2007. As an invited researcher at Waseda University (Tokyo), he conducted studies into the effect of gaze behaviour on visually induced motion sickness, better known as simulator sickness. Cyriel joined the Human Factors and Simulation group at TRL in 2007 and has been working on a variety of naturalistic driving and carsimulator studies, as well as consultancy projects. An important focus in his work is the interaction between drivers and their environment, multimodal perception, and simulation. Cyriel's work has resulted in a number of internationally published articles and conference papers. Cyriel is a member of the ISO workgroup (Road vehicles - Man Machine Interaction), Applied Vision Association (AVA), Midlands Vision Group (MVG), and Ergonomics Society. He further acts as journal referee for various journals including 'Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments', 'Displays', 'Transport', and 'European Transport Research Review'.

Sponsorship:

esure has secured two of the UK's most iconic sponsorships: the ITV National and Channel 4 Weather bulletins.

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