Motion sickness while driving ?

[Mikem7709]

Has anybody suffered from this on track ?

I've felt quite ill the last few times and yesterday couldn't stay out for any more than 15mins without feeling really ill.
I seem to recover quite quickly once out of the car and walking around but its annoying as seems to happen as your just settling into a groove and starting to push harder.

I'm wondering if its the small cockpit, the heat inside, sunstrip making the windscreen seem smaller or the full face helmet that's exaggerating it or maybe even exhaust fumes. I've been fine on track in my E90, M3 and Z4M.

I already have both windows open slightly and try to look as far ahead as possible

Any suggestions ? Are travel sickness tablets an option ?

[robin]

You'll need to read the side effect list of whatever tablets you're thinking about - pretty sure some of them have drowsiness as a common side effect.

The guy I bought my yellow exige off said that part of his reason for selling was motion sickness on track. He tried some of those pressure bands (like a bead on a bit of elastic that you line up with a particular nerve in your wrist) but it didn't work for him.

You could try looking around the corner more - in other words on approach to the braking point start to eye up the exit straight and try to look that way during the corner, unwinding your neck as you unwind the steering. This will reduce the left/right sheer across your field of view which might help (though you might also crash if it turns out you needed to be looking somewhere else ).

BTW, if you only turn your eyes, it won't work - you'll need to rotate your neck - if you like your physics you can see that this will change the angle between the centripetal force in the corner and the balance organs in your ear.

Cheers,
Robin

[tut]

If nothing else works it may be worthwhile looking at a soft top conversion as many of the guys have done.

This would get rid of the closed in feeling and temperature problems, and also fumes if you are getting any, which you really should not be. I also use an open faced helmet, but that is for lightness and I do not like to be behind a visor. Is the tinted strip built in or removable?

tut

[Mikem7709]

Thanks guys, fairly certain I'm turning my head enough (iook to be from photos anyway) but I think its probably something that needs to be conciously practiced.

The sunstrip is the Lotus sport one Tut, I've pulled it off this morning and it hasn't increased vision massively due to the sun visors fitted (maybe I'll try removing them) but it seems a lot brighter even inside my garage.

I think temperature is a big problem as my head feels roasting when it comes on but not sure if that's just a side effect of the sickness. Will look into an open face helmet to see if that helps.

[mikeyb13]

Im with Tut on the roof off option. I found the Exige really claustrophobic on track and I also found I was dizzy after 15mins.
No problem in the S1 with the roof off, even though it's a smaller car.

I was sick at Spa but that was because I was bricking it.

[robin]

Excess temperature in the head will make you feel sick. Try running with the a/c on max cold for a session?

Cheers,
Robin

[j2 lot]

Does A/C not cut out under full throttle? so on track it might not be that effective.

[Shug]

You reasonably tall? I never could really go flat out with the roof on - as my eye line is quite high up in the car and I'm not exactly Graeme Fraser tall. Think it was a field of vision thing and if your brain is taking in too much of the cockpit (which isn't moving as your inner-ear says it should be) then it would be a classic cause of motion sickness. Removing the sun-strip and visors will be a start - bet taking the roof off will sort it completely though.

[robin]

Does A/C not cut out under full throttle? so on track it might not be that effective.

Yes - it's actually quite neat - you cane it up the straight on full throttle (A/C off), then lift of, A/C cuts in to add extra engine braking into the corner and blows a blast of cold air into cockpit - wouldn't work in France where it's really hot, but I'm assuming we're in the UK where A/C on full blast all the time would freeze you to death

Cheers,
Robin