OVER a third of drivers claim they have been stressed or distracted by a car-sick passenger, according to a survey.

With summer holiday travel reaching its peak, the RAC Foundation is urging drivers to ensure car sickness does not pose a safety risk or ruin the holiday.

Three-quarters of all travellers claim to have suffered from car sickness with passengers far more likely to have experienced nausea than drivers – only two in 10 said they had felt ill when actually behind the wheel. Almost 60 per cent of car sickness sufferers are children between the ages of five and 16.

Travel sickness can have a major impact on the family’s experience of the holiday, not just the journey itself. Almost 20 per cent of said it left passengers exhausted and unable to enjoy themselves once they reached their destination.

Kevin Delaney, traffic and road safety manager for the RAC Foundation, said: “Travel sickness not only spoils days out and holiday journeys but a sick passenger, especially a child, can distract a driver’s attention and have obvious road safety implications.”

Although there is no cure for motion sickness, it can be prevented in all but some extreme cases. The RAC Foundation has issued general advice for motorists on how to avoid it:

1) Over the counter drugs. A remedy, such as cinnarizine, can be taken two hours before the journey and can prevent travel sickness for up to eight hours. Motorists should always ensure any drug has no side affects that could affect their driving ability.

2) “Acu-pressure bands". The wristbands have a small plastic bead that puts pressure on the inside of the wrist, preventing the user from experiencing motion sickness.

3) Herbal remedies. Many people use ginger root to help calm the stomach and thus prevent motion sickness.

4) Choose the front seat and face forward, keeping the head steady.

5) Drive rather than be driven. The concentration required distracts from the sickness and encourages visual concentration on the horizon and road ahead.

6) Don't read in the car, not even a map - let someone else navigate.

7) Avoid heavy meals and alcohol before travelling but never travel on an empty stomach.

8) Avoid direct exposure to the sun.

9) Choose straight roads as they are less likely to make you feel sick than winding ones.

10) Get plenty of fresh air.