Short answer
Prioritize passenger comfort by actively designing for the reduction of carsickness in automated vehicles, as it is a significant barrier to acceptance.
- Field
- Human Factors
- Source
- Applied Ergonomics (2025)
- Method
- Online Survey
- Sample
- 3999 participants
- Evidence
- Strong effect
A significant portion of the European adult population experiences carsickness, which can negatively influence their willingness to adopt automated driving technologies. This human factors research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in Applied Ergonomics. Using Online survey with 3999 participants, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Prioritize passenger comfort by actively designing for the reduction of carsickness in automated vehicles, as it is a significant barrier to acceptance.
Carsickness affects 30% of European adults, impacting automated vehicle acceptance
A significant portion of the European adult population experiences carsickness, which can negatively influence their willingness to adopt automated driving technologies.
Applied Ergonomics · 2025
Key Findings
- 0130% of adult participants reported experiencing carsickness.
- 02Carsickness prevalence was influenced by country, gender, age, frequency of being a passenger, type of non-driving task, road type, and seating position.
- 03Carsickness was found to affect the acceptability of automated driving and subjective fitness to drive.
Application
Design takeaway
Prioritize passenger comfort by actively designing for the reduction of carsickness in automated vehicles, as it is a significant barrier to acceptance.
How to apply
When designing the interior layout and motion profiles of automated vehicles, consider factors known to exacerbate carsickness, such as lateral acceleration, visual stimuli, and head movements.
Project actions
- 01When researching user comfort, include questions about motion sickness.
- 02Consider how different vehicle interior designs might affect passenger comfort and susceptibility to carsickness.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Large sample size across multiple European countries.
- +Investigated a broad range of modulating factors relevant to automated driving.
Limitations
Surveys rely on participant honesty and memory. The study's findings might not apply to all cultural contexts or specific types of automated driving systems.
Reliability & validity
The study's reliability is supported by a large sample size and a structured survey methodology. Validity is enhanced by investigating multiple modulating factors and their impact on key outcomes like automated driving acceptance.
Think critically
How might the design of the visual interface within an automated vehicle influence a passenger's susceptibility to carsickness, and what are the trade-offs between providing engaging content and minimizing sensory conflict?
Design Principles
"Design for passenger well-being by anticipating and mitigating common physiological discomforts like motion sickness."
Understanding the prevalence and triggers of carsickness is crucial for designing automated vehicles that prioritize passenger comfort and safety. Addressing this issue can lead to greater user acceptance and a smoother transition to autonomous mobility.
What This Means for Your Design
Lots of people get car sick, and this might make them not want to use self-driving cars. Designers need to figure out how to make cars less likely to make people sick.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to justify investigating user comfort and motion sickness in your own design project involving vehicle interiors or automated systems.
- 2.Cite this study when discussing the importance of human factors in the design of transportation.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
Research indicates that carsickness is a prevalent issue, affecting approximately 30% of the adult population and potentially hindering the acceptance of automated driving technologies. Factors such as country, gender, age, passenger frequency, in-car activities, road type, and seating position all modulate the occurrence of carsickness, highlighting the need for design interventions that prioritize passenger comfort and well-being in the development of future vehicles.
Source
Applied Ergonomics
Sick of being driven? – Prevalence and modulating factors of carsickness in the European population in context of automated driving
journal · 2025
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about carsickness affects 30% of european adults, impacting automated vehicle acceptance?
- Prioritize passenger comfort by actively designing for the reduction of carsickness in automated vehicles, as it is a significant barrier to acceptance. Evidence: Applied Ergonomics (2025).
- Why does "Carsickness affects 30% of European adults, impacting automated vehicle acceptance" matter for design?
- Understanding the prevalence and triggers of carsickness is crucial for designing automated vehicles that prioritize passenger comfort and safety. Addressing this issue can lead to greater user acceptance and a smoother transition to autonomous mobility.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Prioritize passenger comfort by actively designing for the reduction of carsickness in automated vehicles, as it is a significant barrier to acceptance.
- What were the main findings?
- 30% of adult participants reported experiencing carsickness.. Carsickness prevalence was influenced by country, gender, age, frequency of being a passenger, type of non-driving task, road type, and seating position.. Carsickness was found to affect the acceptability of automated driving and subjective fitness to drive.
- What research method was used?
- Online Survey with 3999 participants.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2025 journal from Applied Ergonomics.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing the interior layout and motion profiles of automated vehicles, consider factors known to exacerbate carsickness, such as lateral acceleration, visual stimuli, and head movements.
- What are the limitations?
- Self-reported data may be subject to recall bias. The study focused on a specific set of modulating factors, and other influences may exist. The specific automated driving features tested were not detailed.