If the idea of self-driving cars makes you sick to your stomach, take a deep breath and some Dramamine because it’s only going to get worse. A new study from the University of Michigan indicates that driverless cars will increase your risk of motion sickness.
The study indicates that the uptick in motion sickness is largely due to the increased likelihood that passengers will do things in the car that make them sick, like reading or watching movies. Researchers estimate that this would result in carsickness in 6-12% of passengers.
The good news is that for most people, not engaging in these behaviors would likely eliminate the risk of motion sickness. Unfortunately, this means passengers would have to do something boring, like sit in silence, or even worse, have a polite conversation with your loved ones.
Nicole Conlan is a writer and comedian living in New York. She has written and edited for Jalopnik, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Nicole also writes for the UCB Maude team Goodbye Handsome. You can contact her on Twitter right here.