Although people often choose to travel because of the many available cheap travel options, including cheap fares, cheap deals, cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, discount travel deals, and cheap vacation packages, some would be travelers are reluctant to fly for fear of crashing.
The good news is that the average person is far more likely to be in an accident traveling on land, whether by foot or car, than in a plane. Many plane accidents are survivable. The following are things you can do to increases your chances of getting out of a crash alive, according to Smarter Travel:
Keep your shoes and socks on while flying. If you have to evacuate a plane that has crashed, you will be more likely to get out if you do not have to try to run over sharp debris and fire in bare feet.
Practice unbuckling your seat belt. While this may sound silly, in emergencies people sometime panic and forget how to unbuckle their seat belts. You want to increase your muscle memory. In emergencies people often panic and sometimes think they are in their cars and try to release seat belts by pushing a button instead of lifting a flap.
After sitting down count the number of rows between your seat and the closest emergency exit. Even if the visibility is poor during an emergency, you can still feel your way out of a plane if you know how many seats are between you and the door. Read the safety card in your seatback pocket. Emergency exits open differently on various planes. Note alternative exits on your plane so that you will know what to do if the exit closest to your seat is blocked.
Do not wait for instructions in the event of a plane crash. While you will want to follow crew instructions if provided, flight attendants and pilots may be incapacitated after a catastrophe. Studies have found that 80 percent of people are likely to respond to a disaster with inaction. The last thing you should do is just sit there and wait for help. You need to get out of a plane crash as quickly as possible and try to help fellow passengers if they are not moving.
Use the correct brace position which studies have shown saves lives in airline accidents. You should return your seat to its upright position and then rest your head and chest against your legs while grabbing your ankles or legs. Keep your face down in your lap and do not turn sideways. If there is not room for you to place your head in your lap, place your head against the seat in from of you. Place your feet and knees together with your feet flat on the floor.
Leave your belongings behind in exiting a crashed plane. Studies have found that 68 percent of passengers killed in plane crashes died due to post crash fires vs. injuries sustained in the actual accidents. Time is precious and wasting even seconds grabbing your carry-on or purse could make the difference between life and death.
Wear clothing that is less likely to catch fire in a crash, such as natural fibers like cotton or wool vs. highly flammable items made from polyesters or nylons. Dont fly in high heels (which can puncture evacuation slides) or flip flops which can easily fall off during an emergency.
Remain alert and focused during the most important 11 minutes in the air. 80 percent of all planes crashes happen within the first three minutes of takeoff or in the eight minutes before landing.
Select an aisle seat within five rows of an exit since people in these seats are more likely to escape and survive a plane crash than those sitting further away. A study of over 100 plane crashes found that passengers in aisle seats have better odds of surviving than those in window seats. A fire can burn through a planes fuselage in about 90 seconds.
Move far enough away from the wreckage so that you will not be injured by a fire, explosion, or hazardous fumes. However, do not get too far away from the crash site because rescuers will be looking for survivors close to the plane.
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