by Between celebrity appearances and flash mobs, airlines go to creative lengths to ensure passengers listen to pre-flight safety briefings.
Still, many of us zone out as soon as we board the plane—and some ignore the rules.
To remind you why airline safety guidelines are important, we spoke to airline crew and safety experts to find out some of their reasons.
Why do you have to have your seat upright for take off and landing?
There is nothing worse than taking your seat on a flight only for the a person in front of their immediately recline.
This is not only bad form – it can be dangerous. Airline staff ask passengers to keep their seats upright for take-off and landing, as these are the times when you are most likely to experience an emergency with little time to prepare.
In the event of an emergency landing or evacuatedit helps the people behind you to get out of their seats quickly if your seat is upright.
Likewise, making sure your tray table is padded helps keep the path clear for you and the other person. passengers in your spouse This is also why you have to put your belongings under the seat in front of you.
Why do you have to open the window blind for take off and landing?
The reasons for keeping your blind window open for takeoff and landing are less obvious but no less important.
These are the stages of the greatest flight hazardousand open shades enable flight attendants and passengers to spot any problems – such as an engine fire – immediately, so they can alert the flight deck.
In case of emergency evacuatedit also allows the crew to see if it is safe to use the exit, and allows outside employees to assess the situation inside the cabin.
In addition, it allows your eyes to get used to the light outside, so you can see better during evacuation.
Why are the lights dimmed before take off and landing?
In the event of an emergency landing, the plane could be sent into the dark.
“The lights are dimmed to help with night vision in the event of an evacuation,” says trainer and emergency and safety procedures purser Jodie Jarvis, to Euronews Travel.
Acclimatizing crew and low light ensures that passengers will be able to see the aircraft more clearly and evacuate quickly.
When should the ‘brace’ position be used?
Some flight safety displays show the ‘brace’ position, which should be adopted if instructed by the crew. Commonly, this involves bending forward with your feet firmly on the floor, your head as close as possible to the surface it is likely to hit – usually the seat in front – and your hands on each side of your head.
“The brace position is used during emergency landing, mainly to prevent inertial injuries,” which result from rapid acceleration or deceleration of the brain, Jodie explains.
Usually do not need a brace during turbulence unless it is very severe.
“You’ll know you should brace because the cabin crew will start yelling ‘brace’ or you’ll instinctively start feeling the need to protect your head and lean forward,” says Jodie.
During turbulence, you should fasten your seat belt. There is no need to put your seat up or tray table aside because an evacuation is not expected, but you may need to secure one. liquids that could spill or things that could fall out.
Why do you have to put your phone on airplane mode?
Before 2013, devices like mobile phones it had to be turned off completely for take off and landing.
The requirement to allow phones in flight mode was then dropped. this rule Originally introduced because telephone signals could interfere with flight deck radio signals and internal communications with air traffic control.
Flight systems have been rigorously tested and designed to overcome this threat. Since airlines operate in abundance, however, the requirement still applies.
Newly possible, untested technology it may still be in effect, so passengers are still advised to follow the ‘flight mode’ rule for safety reasons.
Why should you not grab your bag during an emergency evacuation?
Apart from the obvious need to evacuate as quickly as possible – within 90 seconds, to be exact – there are other reasons why you shouldn’t get yours. bag or other items on the plane during an emergency.
“During the evacuation of handbag it could take up space that someone else could use and it could get stuck, trip someone, bump into someone and puncture or damage the slide in some way,” says Jodie .
Passengers wearing high heels are asked to remove them during an emergency evacuation due to the risk of puncturing the slide. It is not advisable to wear flip-flops on a flight, either, as they are not the most durable shoes for evacuation.
