Studies Show That Sitting Near Back of Plane Increases Chances of Survival in Crash
Being smart, educated people, we know that flying is one of the safest modes of travel—certainly far safer than driving or, say, whitewater rafting. And aviation is so safe in part because of the work of countless professionals tirelessly laboring to find new and better ways to make sure that every flight lands safely regardless of its destination or cargo. Let’s take a moment to remember those heros—one of them likely saved your life and you didn’t even know it.
Along those lines, the geniuses at Popular Mechanics did a study and found some interesting-if-gruesome facts about plane crashes. As it turns out, passengers who sit closer to the tail or rear of the aircraft are more likely to survive a crash than those who are seated further forward. Why is that? Well, there’s a lot of physics and engineering involved, but essentially the nose of the plane is most likely to be the point of impact during a crash, and it’s best to be as far away from that action as possible. So remember this next time you book a flight, if only to help with your peace of mind while en route to that dream tropical vacation or that ultra-exciting professional conference in Cleveland.