Now not every single person who travels in an aircraft will ask the question, "What is the safest seat in an airplane?" However some people do have concerns about flying and they like to minimise the risks as much as they can.
QUICK & FAST ANSWER
The simple answer to this question is that there is no single seat that is any safer than another one. Thankfully there are very few accidents on airplanes and in fact flying is one of the safest forms of transport.
However when accidents do happen in aircraft, they can quite simply happen at any spot within the aircraft. There is no particular safe area in an aircraft and it doesn't matter if you sit at the front of the aircraft, the rear or the middle.
Emergency Seats on an Aircraft
Again many air travellers will be familiar with the emergency exits on a plane. The size of the plane determines the number of emergency exits. Some passengers prefer to sit there, just in case there is an emergency, and they believe that they will have a faster chance at being the first off the plane.
The number of emergencies declared on a plane is a very small number. There is of course some truth that if there is an emergency, then the person nearest to the emergency chute, will most likely be the first person down it.
It is however worth noting that a fire or something similar can start near the emergency exit as in other place within the plane.
Emergency exits can also get jammed depending on where an emergency happens on a plane. That leaves the person in just as bad a position as any other person in the aircraft.
Staying Safe On a Plane
The best way to stay safe on a plane or in any form of travel is to stay aware. If you keep alert and remain conscious of your surroundings, then that is really the best thing that you can do.
Flight staff and cabin crew are highly trained on how their type of aircraft works, and you should at all times pay attention to any instructions that they advise. You can of course bring anything that arouses your suspicions to their attention.
Generally speaking though 99.99% of all flights happen without any incidents. All passengers should follow the basic instructions that include:
- Putting cell phones on airplane mode
- Fastening seat belts at take off and landing
- Listening to safety procedures and pre-flights and post-flights from the crew
From time to time you may be advised to fasten seat belts during periods or expected periods of turbulence. Advice from any member of the crew should also be followed.
Other Tips for a Safe Flight
When we travel we like to relax and some people like to have an alcoholic drink. It is always advisable not too drink too much. Alcohol causes dehydration and too much can make you a nuisance to crew and other passengers.
Most travellers are respectful of other people who are travelling, but I am sure we have all met the drunk, or the drunken party that causes annoyance and in some cases can cause distress.
Always try not to do anything that will be detrimental to your own safety, as well as to that of others. These are things such as carrying heavy carry-on luggage, spilling hot drinks, or being careless with pointed objects or things with sharp edges.
It is all about using plain old common sense. Thankfully most people know and behave accordingly.
Safe Airplane Seat Conclusion
According to the statistics in 2017 there were 44 air liner fatalities from 10 fatal air liner accidents. The odds of a plane crash is one for every 1.2 million flights with the odds of dying being one in 11 million.
The odds of dying in a car crash is 1 in 5,000.
To help put this in perspective you would have to fly every single day for a whopping 55,000 years before encountering a fatal accident. There is a bigger chance of being killed by a falling chimney.
So as you can see airplane accidents are rare, despite the continuing fear and misgivings surrounding air travel.
Hopefully you will never be involved in any type of flying incident. If something does happen then you should try hard to stay calm and not to panic. Fear and especially fear in a crowd is a highly contagious disease.
It is a well known fact that most casualties in accidents, even those that happened on land, could have been prevented and reduced if the panic been contained.
A good way of staying calm is to take a deep breath, keep the tone of voice down and follow the cabin crew instructions. The reality is that there is no such thing as the safest seat in the plane.
