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How to survive a plane crash

Does the seat you choose really make a difference?
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Here at Women’s Weekly online given you how tos on everything from ripening avocados to building your own shade garden. But now, in a series entitled ‘Epic How Tos’ this American is showing you how you could survive if your plane went down.

According to statistics quoted in the video, a third of people who die in plane crashes could have survived if they’d taken the proper precautions.

But what exactly are those?

Getting the right seat is vital. While first class might seem luxurious, the front of the plane has the highest death rate in a crash.

According to a 2007 study, that looked at commercial airplane crashes in the US since the 70s, passengers in the rear part of the cabin had a 20% higher survival rate than those up front, and 13 higher than those in the middle.

It was also important to sit within five rows of an exit row.

So what about the planes themselves?

The larger the plane, the more energy from the crash they’ll be able to absorb and therefore the less force you’ll be subjected to.

Another thing you can do to maximise your survival rate is to book as direct a flight as possible to your destination. That’s because the majority of crashes happen upon take off or landing.

Watch the full version of the video below for all the top tips on how to survive a plane crash.

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