Air travel is indeed the safest way to travel nowadays, given the unprecedented attention to safety and standards in place. Despite that, some people still fear flying because they feel uneasy about the number of safety procedures being carried out. But those procedures are actually in place to make things safer. Hence, some people ask where the safest seats on a plane are.
Honestly, there’s no seat that’s the safest. Your chances of surviving a plane crash depend more on what happens during the crash than where you’re sitting. No seat, whether it’s a middle seat, window seat, or aisle seat, can be claimed to be the safest spot in a crash.
That said, how bad your injuries are, or if you don’t make it, can be somewhat influenced by where you’re sitting in the cabin.
The Middle and Back Seats
Studies indicate that the aisle seats in the middle third of the plane have the highest fatality rate at 44%, while the middle seats at the back have the lowest at 28%. Also, in case of an emergency evacuation, those sitting near the exit doors have an advantage over those who are farther away.
It makes sense that these seats are considered safer. The seats at the back are near the exit rows and offer some extra cushioning if something hits the front of the plane. Plus, they’re far from the fuel storage in the middle of the aircraft, and sitting in a middle seat gives you some extra protection from people on either side of you.
Air Travel is Still the Safest Way to Travel
FlightRadar24 data shows that in 2019, there were nearly 70 million flights worldwide, with only 287 fatalities. According to the U.S. National Safety Council, your odds of dying in a plane crash are about 1 in 205,552. When you compare that to a 1 in 102 chance of dying in a car, it puts things in perspective. We take risks every day, and flying is actually a pretty low-risk activity.
At the end of the day, your odds of not surviving a plane crash have more to do with the specifics of the crash than where you’re sitting. For example, if the tail takes the most impact, people in the middle or front might be better off than those at the back. That’s why the FAA and other safety experts say there’s no safer seat on a plane.
Nevertheless, air travel is the safest way to travel nowadays. Always follow your cabin crew when they implement safety rules. Pay attention to safety demos and briefings.
First love never dies. I fell in love with airplanes and aviation when I was a kid. My dream was to become a pilot, but destiny led me to another path: to be an aviation digital media content creator and a small business owner. My passion for aviation inspires me to bring you quality content through my website and social accounts. Aviation is indeed in my blood and blog!
