Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Airline Safety

Many people worry about the safety of airline flying. A lot of people want to know they are riding on a safe airline. However, it is very difficult to tell which are lines are “safer” than others based on accident statistics. Most airlines are safe, and the most dangerous factors usually include flying conditions (such as storms, or mountain terrain), destinations and good airline security which lessens the chance of terrorists, bombs and hijackings. The International Aviation Safety Assessment, is a guide to which countries meet the airline safety checks, not the airlines themselves. You can check with your airport for a list of different countries and there assessment results.

The majority of airline accidents occur on take off and landing, so you should try and book flights that don’t have a stop over destination. Larger airplanes have stricter rules and the passengers have a better chance of survival if the plane should crash, so you might want to consider booking your flight with a large airplane of thirty or more passengers.

While on your flight, to ensure your safety you should make sure you pay close attention to the safety video and closely read the safety information brochure under your seat. Always be aware of the closest emergency exit, and consider keeping your seat belt on at all times while seated if you are nervous about turbulence; which is often unexpected and can cause injury. You should also keep anything too heavy out of the overhead carrier in case of turbulence you don’t want anything to fall on you or anyone else. Also, allow the flight attendants to handle your hot drinks and food as they are trained to handle it and can safely manage giving it to you.

While airplane crashes are very rare, if the incident should occur, try to remain calm and listen to the flight attendants who can guide you through the steps to exit the aircraft quickly and safely.