Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)
Summertime is upon us. Some of us might be flying to other countries.
Whenever you fly, it is essential to listen carefully to the safety instructions.
These instructions might seem boring because they are repeated on every flight. But airlines have an important reason for doing it.
Plane seat belt buckles are different from those in cars. They are designed to be immediately visible, quickly located and easily released by passengers and rescuers.
In a situation where passengers need to escape, the first thing many people do is reach for the red plastic button between the seats, rather than lifting the metal buckle.
Edwin Galea is an expert in emergency evacuation dynamics. In many of the airline accidents he has studied, passengers struggled to release their seat belts.
This is dangerous because they usually only have a few seconds before escape becomes impossible.
Car seat belts are released with red plastic buttons that are tucked between the seats. They can only be operated by pushing the button with a finger.
In contrast, airline seat belt releases are front and centre on the passenger’s lap and can be operated with any part of the hand. Therefore, it is a good idea to follow the safety instructions.
Before take-off and landing, release and reinsert the buckle a couple of times.
Airline safety is no laughing matter.
