Safe places in Russia? How to choose the safest seat on public transport

When buying a ticket online or at the airport ticket office, a rare person thinks about the risk emergency. We all watch with horror news reports about the crash of airbuses, but deep down we believe that this will never happen to us. However, statistics show that even if the plane crashes, there is a chance to survive if you choose right place in the cabin.

In this article, we will compare the degree of security passenger seats in different parts of the cabin and give interesting statistics related to research on this topic.

Where are the safest places on an airplane?

According to passenger surveys, seats in the front of the cabin are considered the most comfortable: there is enough space, less noise and close to the exit. That is why tickets for the front seats are sold out in the first place. However, such popularity is not a guarantee of security. It turns out that during crashes, the nose of the aircraft takes the main force of the impact, so the passengers sitting here have practically no chance of surviving.

The middle part of the airliner is also not safe: it is here that the fuel tanks are located, which for various reasons can ignite and explode.

The safest seats on an airplane are in the tail section. Most accidents occur during takeoff or landing, so the front of the aircraft is at the highest risk of damage. Accordingly, the passengers in the tail more chances for a happy ending. Of course, the plane crash high altitude will be fatal, but crash landings tail section much less at risk.

If you want to buy tickets, then the safest place is closer to the emergency exit - this is a guarantee that if the plane breaks down in the air, you will be one of the first to leave the cabin.

Statistics data

The safest seats in an air show have been the subject of many statistical studies. The most ambitious was the analytical review of the popular science publication Popular Mechanics, whose journalists in 2007 assessed the results of the US NSS air crash statistics for 30 years. As a result, they were able to find out that:

• The proportion of survivors in the tail section was 69%;
• In the middle of the cabin, 56% of the passengers managed to escape;
• Those sitting in the front were less fortunate - their share was only 49%.

At the same time, American journalists concluded that the location on the right or left does not affect the level of safety - when they fall, they have the same load.

TOP 5 safest aircraft in the world

Despite the statistically backed belief that flying is the safest way to travel, reports of crashes on board airliners cause a temporary fear of flying that is reflected in air ticket sales.

The American weekly BusinessWeek conducted a study of data on accidents due to technical reasons and ranked the most “non-accident” aircraft.

1. Boeing 777 is one of the safest airliners, during the entire period of operation of which only three passengers died by different carriers (as a result of one of three accidents in total time flight time by all Boeings, amounting to more than 20 million hours).
2. Airbus A340 is produced in the amount of 341 pieces, and only three of them have ever had an accident. In this case, not a single person died on board.
3. The Airbus A330 is in third place for a reason: during a flight time of more than 14 million hours, only three accidents occurred, each of which was fatal for passengers and crew, although one lucky person managed to survive in 2005 after a fatal landing at Tripoli airport.
4. The Boeing 747 has been produced since 1970, and during this time more than 940 aircraft have been produced. On account of these aircraft 18 fatal accidents, and in most cases, some passengers managed to survive.
5. The Boeing 747 NG (Next Generation) has been operated by airlines since 1997, and the total number of aircraft today is more than 2,600. For the entire period of operation of this most popular aircraft, there have been only three crashes.

Scientists' opinion

According to analysts, the close relationship between the location of places and the degree of their safety is a far-fetched myth. However, there is a clear pattern - the closer the place to the emergency exit, the more likely it is to survive due to the timely exit from the cabin.

In addition, statistics have shown that big planes crashes less often and the number of crash survivors is higher compared to small airliners capable of carrying up to 30 people. Single-engine aircraft account for 73% of all fatal crashes ever.

Which seat in the cabin is better to choose in order to feel safe: in front, in the middle or at the end? We will try to figure out how safe certain places are in various emergency situations: from smoke in the cabin to a disaster.

The safest seats on an airplane

According to a study by Popular Mechanic, a science magazine, your chances of surviving a crash increase if you sit in the tail section. The study was based on data National Council US security, which say that for 30 years until 2007, most of the survivors were located precisely in the tail section (the last rows located "behind the edge of the wing"): 69%.

The closer to the nose, the less safety is: "above the wing" - 56% of survivors, "in front of the wing", where budget places are usually located, the percentage is the same - 56%. The fact is that in the wing there is a tank with aviation fuel, and it ignites as a result of impacts.

If we talk about which side to choose, then according to the study, it does not matter: both on the right and on the left, the survival rate is the same. Since it is absolutely impossible to predict on which side the plane will fall in the event of an emergency. But the proximity to the passage plays a role: more than 65% of the survivors, according to the information of the English Office civil aviation, sat exactly near the aisle or on the middle row.

What are the most dangerous places on an airplane?

The most dangerous were the front seats closest to the cockpit: only 49% survived there. This is due to the fact that the a large number of disasters occur during takeoff or landing, as a result of which it is the front of the liner that suffers first. She takes the brunt of the moment she hits the ground. Places in front extinguish most shock wave, so the back rows get less.

Are emergency exit seats safe?

Yes, but in a situation where tragic events do not unfold quickly and there is time to get out of the cabin. In the event of a fire on board, carbon monoxide entering the cabin air, theoretically, those who sit in five rows near the emergency exit will be the first to get out. According to the rules of the airlines, they try to seat strong men in the closest places to him, who, in which case, will help the stewardess open the heavy door and organize the evacuation.

Does the location of safe seats depend on the type of aircraft?

If you care about your safety, then give preference big liners, and not small "corn". According to disappointing statistics for the latter, 73% falls on single-engine aircraft with up to 30 seats. total number air accidents and about 70% of all deaths due to aircraft crashes. In a word, small aircraft you should beware, also fly with fewer transfers.

How to survive if you are not sitting in the safest place?

Most often, it is not possible to get the desired seat at the emergency exit or in the tail section and you have to take what is left, or is suitable for the price. How can you try to stay safe in the event of a disaster if you are sitting in the central part of the cabin or closer to the cockpit, and in any other place?

• before a disaster, try to group up so that your body is at its lowest level: this will soften the blow. Try to put a pillow or something soft under your head to soften the blow. Remember that the formation should not be opened until the aircraft has come to a complete stop, because usually the matter is not limited to one strong push.
• When you unfasten your seat belt, don't panic. Do not confuse it with a car one: you need to unfasten it by pulling the buckle. Statistics show that many who did not escape did not manage to free themselves from the belt in time, because they began to look for the button on the side, as in a car.
• do not inhale acrid smoke: try to wet a rag with liquid (perhaps even urine) and breathe through it.
• follow the instructions given by the stewardess (if the stewardess or any of the staff are able to do this. Otherwise, do not expect anything - act on your own). Do not shove other passengers, do not push: there are about two minutes to exit the burning cabin, during which, with a well-organized evacuation, it is quite possible for the majority to escape.
• and of course don't try to save your belongings even if you have a bag full of jewelry - don't waste time and don't make others wait while you dig somewhere.

Some passengers care about flight safety and choose the safest seats on the plane when buying tickets. The majority of passengers prefer comfort, they want to sit with outstretched legs away from crowded places and be the first to run to the exit after the liner lands.

Page content

Meanwhile, there are safe spaces on planes that will increase your chances of surviving a crash. In a crash at an altitude of 10,000 kilometers, it is difficult to talk about survival, because the car burns out in 2-3 minutes. But according to statistics, a large percentage of accidents happen on takeoff or landing. In such cases, choosing the right place will help you save your life.

The safest places on a plane

According to statistics, the largest percentage of people who survived plane crashes sat at the back of the cabin. Therefore, the back is considered safe.

If we consider the situation when the liner crashes on landing, it turns out that the impact during the fall falls on the bow. Further, the middle section and wings will soften the blow, taking the wave upon themselves. The most likely to stay alive in this case are the passengers sitting in the tail section.

If an emergency situation arose during takeoff, the liner will fall in front, which again will take the force of the blow.

In the event of an explosion of fuel, which is located at the level of the wings, the middle of the cabin will suffer. Rear passengers have a better chance of survival.

Good seats on the plane

There are seats in the cabin that are inferior in safety to the rear seats, but increase the chances of salvation in the event of a fire evacuation. According to statistics, 60% of passengers with emergency landing with an explosion they die from carbon monoxide, not having time to get out into the street. From this point of view, safe places are at the emergency exit and close to it (within 5 rows). It is difficult to run from the tail or front of the aircraft during panic and crush. In addition, passengers who take seats at the aisle are more likely to be saved than those who sit at the porthole.

Thus, the rear seats increase the chances of survival, especially in ground incidents. History knows cases when the liner was torn in the air, but the people who were sitting behind survived.

15% success rate on rescue adds aisle seats, 30% extra exit seats.

If there was a plane crash, those who behave coolly, courageously, rationally and do not panic are more likely to be saved. Seat belts, baby posture (bending over, clasping your head with your hands), oxygen masks These are the things that will increase the chances of survival.

After conducting scientific research to identify safe seats in the cabin, scientists appealed to airlines to provide people with the opportunity to choose their own places to fly. Therefore, it is important to know where the safest seats are on the plane. All airlines have a website that sells air tickets via the Internet. The choice of location is additional service which is provided on paid basis. In addition, high-security seats are sold at an inflated price. But people are not averse to paying extra money for their own safety.

Most people are afraid to fly on airplanes. There is even such a disease as aerophobia - that is, a panic fear of air travel. Such people prefer to travel exclusively by train or motor transport.

And everything is to blame for the imaginary idea that if there was an “accident” in the air, it is impossible to escape. Although in reality it is not.

Possessing certain knowledge and strictly following the instructions of the aircraft crew, even in emergency the likelihood of an undesirable outcome can be minimized.

At one time, experts from the Ascend agency, which specializes in consulting airlines, calculated that chances of dying in a car accident are 60 times higher than in an airplane flight.

And according to the data international organization civil aviation (ICAO), There is an average of one crash per million departures..

But since a plane crash causes much more resonance than an accident on the road, the media play an important role in replicating aerophobias.

Even experienced passengers get nervous during turbulence, and some don't hesitate to “poke” for courage before the flight. What can we say about newcomers.

However, in our time, flying by plane not only saves time, but also money, which is facilitated by the rapid development low cost airlines. In addition, in some cases, the aircraft may be the only means of transportation.

To convince people who consider the aircraft the most unsafe view transport in the world, let's again turn to the statistics, which say: in 70% of cases of airliner crashes, people survive. First of all, this applies to people who follow the safety rules. Let's talk about them now.

Before you take off, you need fasten seat belts tightly so that the finger does not even crawl through. The key word here is "tight". This little detail could save your life.

Firstly, a tightly fastened seat belt will allow you to stay in the seat during the sharp braking of the aircraft or, conversely, very strong acceleration. Simply put, he will not let you fly out of place.

Secondly, a tightly fastened belt will protect against blunt abdominal injuries with the same belt during sudden braking or acceleration. After all, every centimeter of free belt space increases the load that your internal organs with such an injury 3 times (!).

To make it clearer: the impact force that you will experience at 1 cm of the gap is equal to the impact force of 1 brick, at 2 cm - 3 bricks, at 3 cm - 9 bricks.

So, we fastened the seat belt tightly. But is it right? The point is that fixed the seat belt must be on the iliac bones(hip bone). That is, under the belly. In no case not on the stomach!

See how this is done correctly in the following images:

There are also unwritten safety rules that people tend to ignore out of ignorance. It is believed that in the cabin there are more or less safe places for passengers in case of unforeseen situations.

Observations show that during air crashes, the tail of the aircraft remains intact, and, accordingly, people who are in the tail are more likely to survive. It can be said that this the best place for survival: there is no fuel in the tail, which means there is less chance of exploding, and the exit door is close.

When you need to urgently leave an aircraft that has made an unforeseen landing, it is obvious that passengers seated closest to the emergency exits exit first, and in case of danger, they are more likely to survive compared to other passengers.

For the same reason people whose seats are closer to the aisle are in a better position during emergencies.

It is also believed that passengers with normal weight have a better chance of surviving a crash - they move faster and can crawl into a narrow space if necessary.

To determine the safest places on an airplane, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the diagram below (click to enlarge):

Most often, air crashes occur during two short periods. The first is the moment of takeoff, or rather the first 3 minutes of the flight. The second is the last 8 minutes of the flight, i.e. taxiing and landing. Moreover, during the latter, accidents occur 2 times more often than during takeoff.

According to statistics, about 30% of the adult population suffers from aerophobia (fear of flying on airplanes). This fear is due to the fear of heights, a plane crash in the air, the hijacking of an airplane by terrorists, etc.

But nonetheless, air Transport – the safest. The chance that the flight could end in sad consequences is about 1 in several million.

The best seats on the plane

If you are afraid of flying on airplanes, but you have to travel by air, do not rush to panic. Safe and comfortable accommodation in the cabin will reduce your concerns to a minimum.

Which chair is more comfortable?

You should take care of choosing a seat on the plane even before booking it.

Most passengers are more comfortable in the front seats. Here you can sit comfortably, recline your chair and stretch your legs without disturbing other fellow travelers. It is not for nothing that on many flights the seats of the first are located precisely in front.

In addition, toilets and staff quarters are at the rear. And this means that no one will disturb you during the flight.

All over the place at the porthole considered one of the most comfortable. You can calmly look at the clouds outside the window and have little to no contact with other passengers.

So, the most comfortable places are:

1. In the bow liner;
2. Near the portholes.

How to choose a place?

• Please read before flying technical features liner, location of seats. This information is in open access on airline websites.
• When seating, be guided not only by safety considerations, but also flight duration. When flying for hours on a foreign airliner (they are considered the most reliable), it is better to buy a seat in front. This is especially true for tall and large passengers.

You can book tickets using this search form. Enter information about cities of departure and arrival, date, number of passengers.

Read also about what dimensions and weight you can carry on board the aircraft as hand luggage.

The safest places

Despite the fact that airplanes are the most reliable transport However, people still try to further protect themselves and loved ones.

Where is the most reliable?

For those who are terribly afraid of flying and are ready to risk their own comfort for the sake of safety, we recommend choosing places located in tail section. Despite the proximity to the toilet and office space, these places are considered the safest.

Most accidents happen during takeoff or landing. And since the main blow falls on the nose, the "rear" passengers more chances avoid injury and save your life.

If you want to additionally insure yourself in flight, pay attention to the places located next to emergency exit. Passengers sitting here are evacuated first.

Where is the most dangerous place to fly?

Despite the obvious convenience, the front seats are not considered safe. In the event of an emergency, the main blow falls on the nose of the aircraft.

According to statistics, the most dangerous places are considered to be in middle of the cabin. They are located in close proximity to the wings of the aircraft, where the fuel tanks are located. When ignited, the middle of the liner suffers first. Fortunately, similar situations happen extremely rarely.

• If you are flying with , try sit in front. On the planes of foreign airlines, it is here that the mounts for baby cradles and strollers are located. For the same reasons, passengers without children are advised to take the rear seats. Neighborhood with a restless baby does not contribute much to a comfortable flight.
• If you plan to actively move around the cabin (for example, when you are sitting away from your company), it is better not to take a seat at the window, but to get closer to the exit so as not to disturb fellow travelers.
• Remember that on board the aircraft you are in complete security . Your chances of being in a plane crash are much less than being in an emergency in a car, on a train, or on a ship.

We wish you a pleasant flight!

See video tips about choosing convenient place in airplane: