A lot of people are fearful about flying, although you’re actually much safer zipping through the clouds buckled into your airplane seat than you were as you sped to the airport, past drivers who were gabbing on their cells, enjoying a sandwich, texting, having a good cry or applying make-up.
Statistics show that the middle seats in the rear of an aircraft historically have the highest survival rates, hence there is no conclusive research or accord on the matter, however, there is some information that points out a best option.
According to the data of Aircraft Accident Database, the seats in the back third of the aircraft had a 32% fatality rate, compared with 39% in the middle third and 38% in the front third.
Looking at row position, the middle seats in the rear of the aircraft had the best outcomes (28% fatality rate). The worst-faring seats were on the aisle in the middle third of the cabin (44% fatality rate).
Another study showed, that those seated nearest the emergency exits are also most likely to survive in the incident of plane crash.
But it gets better! The back of the aircraft, we’re told, is safer than the front. Which means? Flying Economy is actually safer than flying First Class.
Of course, the chances of dying in an aircraft accident have less to do with where you sit and more to do with the circumstances surrounding the crash. If the tail of the aircraft takes the brunt of the impact, the middle or front passengers may fare better than those in the rear. The statistics showed that survival was random in several accidents — those who perished were scattered irregularly between survivors. It’s for this reason that the airline safety experts say there is no safest seat on the plane.
But one thing is certain: Flying is very safe, and it’s only gotten safer in recent decades. This is especially true compared with other means of transportation. The lifetime odds of perishing in a car are 1 in 112. As a pedestrian, the odds are 1 in 700 and on a motorbike, they’re 1 in 900. But on a plane? The odds of dying drop to just 1 in 8,000.
