Air Travel: 5 tips to make it safer

Traveling by air may be much safer than you think.  Every year, almost 18,000 airliners take off and land at thousands of airports world wide.  Perhaps you were one of the more than 1.6 billion passengers that was transported to their destinations.  All this movement with very few accidents. 

According to Lloyd's of London, the well-known insurance provider, you are 25 times safer traveling by air than by car!  Apparently, statistically a lot more could go wrong on the drive to and from the airport than when you are airborne.  Still, being up among the clouds could add some anxiety you would not normally experience on a trip to the grocery store.   Here are five things you could do to make this relatively safe form of travel, even safer.

1. Choose your airline carefully!  Safety records differ from airline to airline.  Established, well-known airlines generally are safe carriers.  Their aircrafts are usually modern and they conduct more regular maintenance and safety checks.
   
   
2. Choose your clothing carefully. The best shield for your skin in the event of fire is long sleeves and long trousers or a long skirt.  Also, clothing made of natural fibers offer  the best protection. Synthetic material often melt or will shrink onto the skin when exposed to heat.  Flat shoes with laces are the best option for protecting your feet from cuts and burns.
   
   
3. Listen to the safety briefing.   One survey of Canadian air travelers showed that only 29 percent of passengers on a flight read or looked at the safety card.  Let us hope the rest were the frequent flyers, and were already familiar with the safety procedures.  Still, repetition is the mother of learning so always pay attention to the comprehensive briefing the crew provides before take off.  And take some time to study the safety instructions.  You may need to know how to open the emergency exit if you are the first one to get there.
   
   
4. Pack a small flashlight.   I learned this tip from a colleague of mine.   How you will  find the nearest exit if it is dark or smoke obscures your vision.  One simple technique is to count the rows of seats between you and the exits.  A small flashlight could easily fit in your purse or pocket and would help you find and open the escape hatch if it is dark.
   
   
5. Limit your hand luggage.   Heavy hand luggage can pose a serious danger since items fall from bins that have not been properly closed.  In survival situations leave all your luggage behind.  Surviving is most important. Luggage can be replaced later.

Obviously, all forms of travel include some amount of risk.  But taking a few precautions can alleviate your anxiety and make air travel even safer than it already is.

Comments

[Kevin Humphrey]

I'd like to add number 6. You can't be too careful when traveling out of country. Not only would you want to wear a medical ID bracelet or necklace, you want to have a medical emergency ID card in your purse or wallet with all the details that won't fit on the jewelry.