While air travel remains very safe, there have been some high-profile crashes over the past few years. Fear of flying is common, and these events can feel frightening as well as heartbreaking.
For many people, their choice of seat is usually to do with factors other than safety: some people prefer a window seat, others prefer to be close to the aisle. Some people prefer to be as far away from the toilets as possible, while others prefer to be closer just in case. When you’re travelling as a family or in a group, just getting seats near each other feels like a tricky task. If I can get seats with my kids and my husband so we can both share the load, that’s enough for me.
But in terms of safety, where should you sit on a plane, if the worst were to happen? Let’s dive into what the statistics tell us.
First: the stats on plane crashes
Before we start, it’s important to note how rare plane crashes actually are. If you have a fear of flying (as I can, depending on the circumstances), it’s important to note. The risk of dying in a car accident over your whole lifetime is 1 in 93; the risk of dying in a plane crash is 1 in 816,545,929 (roughly).
So while we’re talking about worst-case scenarios, keep in mind that the probability is that you won’t need to worry about where you sit in case of a crash.
The best place to sit
Do you remember the Air India plane crash in which one man survived? He was sitting near the emergency exit in seat 11a. This was fairly near the front of the plane.
But on the whole, the safest place is usually the middle or the back of the plane. A 2017 study suggested that sitting near the back gave a higher chance of staying alive in the event of a crash, as well as sitting near the wings. And a second study suggested that sitting in the back in the middle is the best place to be.
This is based on the study of previous plane crashes. So if it helps to ease your mind, try to book near the rear of the aircraft.
Featured image: undrey, Canva
