The safest place in the car. What is the safest place in a car?
For the safety of their children and those closest to them, motorists often look for the answer to the question of where is the safest place in the car. On this occasion, there are many advisers among friends. You can also find many answers on the Internet. But what are they based on, what statistics? In this article we will find out where the safest place in the car is.
What is the safest place in a car?
Previously, for many years, the safest place in a car was considered to be the rear seat diagonally from the driver. That is why it has come down to us as a tradition for a VIP person to take a seat in a car on the back seat on the right. This location is designated for protocol officials. It was believed that the place diagonally from the driver is furthest from impact in an accident.
However, the safest place in the car will depend on the layout of most roads in the country and the type of traffic (left-hand or right-hand drive). If most highways in a country are equipped with safety zones between oncoming traffic lanes, then statistically there will be fewer frontal collisions than side collisions. If in cities the maximum number of intersections are equipped with working traffic lights, then, according to statistics, there will be fewer side collisions.
First, it's worth considering the different types of collisions and safe places for passengers.
- frontal collision - in a frontal collision, the main impact falls on the front left edge, which means that the safest place will be behind the driver;
- side impact from the left - the safest place will be on the back seat diagonally from the driver;
- side impact from the right - the safest place will be on the back seat behind the driver;
It turns out that most often the safe place is the left side of the rear sofa in the car. However, recently statistics were presented that proved that the safest place in a car is the seat in the middle of the back seat.
Several years ago, in the American city of Buffalo, all statistical data on accidents that had occurred over the past three years were processed. And it turned out that, according to the conclusions of this study, the safest place in the car is the middle of the rear sofa. Everything is very simple. In this place, practically nothing compresses the person at the moment of impact, especially in the event of a side collision.
According to officials from the State Road Safety Inspectorate (STSI), those passengers who sit in the middle of the rear sofa have the greatest chance of surviving in severe accidents.
Rule | Description |
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Each person cares not only about the comfort of his flight, but also thinks through options for behavior in a possible emergency situation. If unforeseen situations arise during a flight, the chance of survival increases for people who sit in certain seats. For each model, such “safety islands” can be in different compartments of the aircraft.
Where are the safest seats on a plane?
As a general rule, the safest seats on an airplane that help passengers survive a crash are the seats at the back of the plane. In second place are the emergency exit seats.
The most dangerous places are in the center of the plane and in its front part.
Statistics: the safest seat on a plane during a crash
According to statistics, there is 1 plane crash per 1 million flights. There are 59 times fewer victims of plane crashes than in road accidents. Often, plane crashes occur when the plane gains altitude during the first 3 minutes, or during the landing approach within 7.5 minutes. There are 2 times more cases related to aircraft landing. At such a moment, it is important to think about your own safety and carefully listen to the flight attendant’s instructions.
According to Popular Mechanics magazine, seats in the rear of the plane are considered safe. The 2007 study included a comprehensive analysis of US National Safety Council statistics on car accidents that occurred over the past 30 years. The largest percentage of citizens who survived the crash of airliners, namely over 70%, was in the tail section, and only 55% of passengers were in economy class seats in the section above the wing. As for the side, according to statistics, passengers have an equal chance of surviving a crash both when located on the right side and on the left.
The number of survivors in the front compartment of the plane is only 49%, which is very strange, because VIP luxury seats are most often located in these places.
These statistics are due to the fact that in the event of an unsuccessful landing in an emergency situation, according to the laws of physics, the impact falls on the nose of the aircraft. The impact reaches the rear seats with a significant degree of shock absorption: the impact is reduced by about 30%.
The most dangerous places are located in the central part, where the fuel supply tanks are located. In the event of an in-flight emergency, there is a high probability of fire in these compartments, which increases the risk of death for passengers.
The safest seats on an Airbus 320
Capacity varies from 150 to 180 passengers. But, regardless of the location of the seats in the cabin, traditionally the seats in the 12th and 13th rows are considered the safest for people. They are located in close proximity to emergency exits, where there is the most space. The only drawback is that in these rows there is no way to stretch your legs or adjust the seat to a comfortable position.
Interesting fact! In the event of an emergency landing, people located near the emergency exits have a better chance of survival, since they will be able to quickly get out of the aircraft.
Uncomfortable seats in the last rows are statistically recognized as the safest in the event of an emergency landing.
The safest places in Boeing
Boeing aircraft are deservedly considered one of the most comfortable commercial airliners. The convenient arrangement of seats, various modifications for citizens with different income levels, allows Boeing to arrange seats depending on the needs of customers.
As a general rule, business class on such planes is located in the front of the plane: the first 3-5 rows. The large distance between passengers helps them relax and enjoy the flight.
Despite the high level of VIP class service, such places are the most dangerous in Boeing. The statistics above showed that such seats are not much safer than seats located in the center of the aircraft.
The remaining seats in the Boeing are designed for economical transportation and are equipped with 3 people next to each other.
The distance between them does not exceed 75 cm. The only comfortable economy class seats in Boeing are 2 rows of seats at the emergency exits, which are located in the middle of the aircraft.
If the passengers managed to survive the impact, but the cabin caught fire, causing acrid smoke to pour out, the passengers sitting at the emergency exits have a better chance of surviving in such extreme conditions.
The least comfortable seats are in the back, where it is impossible to lean back and stretch your legs. But, despite the discomfort of passengers who were “lucky enough” to find themselves in not very comfortable seats in the tail compartment of the airliner, in the event of a Boeing plane crash they have a high chance of survival.
At Boeing, as at Airbus, engineers considered the places above the fuel tanks, in the center of the plane, to be the most dangerous. The greatest damage in a disaster will be caused to this compartment due to the high risk of fire.
Why is the tail of an airplane the safest place?
The experiment, which was carried out by the Americans and cost more than 1.5 million USD, showed that if economy class customers are seated in the rear tail of an aircraft, their chances of survival in the event of a plane crash increase.
During the crash test, a Boeing 727 aircraft was directed towards the ground at a speed exceeding 220 km per hour.
The passengers in the front of the plane took the blow: their chances of survival were virtually zero, while the people in the rear survived. The fact is that there are no flammable elements in the tail - fuel sensors, engine sensors, etc. In addition, there is an emergency exit door nearby, which increases the chances of a successful outcome.
You can survive only if all safety rules are followed: seat belts are fastened, the seat back is in a horizontal position.
If the issue of increased comfort is not fundamental, then it is better to choose seats at the rear of the plane or near the emergency exits.
In an emergency, this provides benefits that are more likely to save the lives of passengers than those seated in business class, first class, or the center of the aircraft. In any case, passengers must observe basic safety precautions when taking off and landing the aircraft.
All sorts of troubles and potential danger await us at every corner. This is especially true for automobile safety issues. There is probably not a person who did not witness the accident. True, no one is immune from this, and even the most measured driver is not immune from the fact that his passengers or himself may be the injured party. In order to maintain your health, it is useful to know what is the safest place in the car. It is this knowledge, along with knowledge, that will help preserve precious health in the future.
For better safety, all seats must be equipped with head restraints.
Front seat next to the driver
It would seem that the potentially closest place to the point of impact (as well as the driver’s seat) would be the most dangerous for the passenger. In fact, the main location of all collisions occurs at the front of the car (except when you are hit).
However, if we take as a model a car that was released not so long ago and uses the latest technologies to ensure safety for passengers and the driver, the scales sharply tip in the opposite direction. The front seats, due to the greatest traumatic risk, are equipped with the largest number of airbags, when deployed, the victim’s body almost completely (the overlap angle sometimes reaches 240 degrees) blocks access to solid elements of the cabin.
Naturally, such safety is possible only if safety measures are fully observed, namely: the passenger must take the correct position on the seat (place his back as close as possible to the back of the seat, keeping his knees together at an angle close to 90 degrees).
In modern cars the front seat is very safe (even for a child)
Behind the driver
This place is considered to be the most protected in the car. In the event of a frontal collision, the passenger is protected from impact and sharp fragments (or other dangerous parts) from entering the passenger compartment by the high backrest of the driver's seat. In addition, some studies have shown that the critical thinking of many drivers forces them to use the last-minute maneuver that provides maximum protection in the event of an imminent collision, thus guided by the “instinct of self-preservation.”
Behind the front passenger
This is probably one of the safest places in a car, but another place holds the leadership in safety. It is not surprising that such a location in the car is often called a “diplomatic seat.” This is because officials or other representative persons, trusting many years of experience, understand that the diagonal location in relation to the driver makes this place the most protected among the rest.
In the event of a frontal collision, the passenger is maximally protected from being thrown through the windshield. The risk of catching someone else's hood on the side is also less scary here than sitting behind the driver, since in our country we drive on the right hand side.
However, as statistics show, more than 40% of all accidents occur while negotiating intersections. Consequently, when making a left turn, exposing our right side to oncoming traffic, we are potentially at risk of colliding with other vehicles.
Back in the middle
In 2006, a group of Australian researchers accepted the fact that the central seat in the back row is the most secure among all others. The argument for this statement was the protection of the passenger from rear impacts, as well as side collisions. In addition, modern cars equip the central seat with a comfortable headrest.
One version is that the rear center is the safest place in the car.
However, a potential problem with such a location in a car is considered to be the potential threat of injury from structures or broken elements flying into the cabin. At their core, the front seats do not protect this place from such elements, unlike the same outer seats in the car. In addition, not all cars have seat belts in this area. And when simulating a situation where a person sitting in the rear center seat, not wearing a seat belt, collides with another car in a head-on collision, it becomes scary.
Where is the safest place in the car? Let's sum it up
The fundamental opinion of many experts is that it is impossible to choose any one of the available places, because the types of accidents significantly increase the risk of injury of varying severity while being in different places. The only thing everyone agrees on is the location behind the driver.
Depending on the location of the collision, the percentage of safety and health will vary. For example, in a side impact, a passenger placed horizontally from the driver will receive minimal or no damage at all. But in the event of a frontal, rather serious impact, such a trip can end with the maximum possible injuries for oneself.
Regardless of the chosen location, as well as the type of trip, be sure to follow the rules of precaution and personal safety. This is especially true for children traveling in the cabin. Don't neglect using a child seat during long trips and beyond. Remember that not only your life, but also the lives of other road users, including your passengers, depends on your level and ability to drive a car.
It is unlikely that in the modern world you will meet a person who has never driven a car in his life. Today, passenger vehicles are much more common than 15-20 years ago, and on the one hand, this is very convenient, because the car enthusiast always has the opportunity to quickly and comfortably get where he wants. On the other hand, the huge number of cars on the roads inevitably provokes all kinds of traffic accidents. Where should you sit in the car so that the risk of getting hurt in an accident is as low as possible?
What is the safest place in the car?
There is a popular opinion that the safest place for a passenger in a car is in the back seat behind the driver's seat. In fact, everything is not so, because if a car is passing an intersection, and at that time another car crashes into it, then it is the passenger sitting behind the driver who can suffer quite badly.According to other sources, the safest place in a car is in the back seat, diagonally from the driver. This stereotype is so widespread that the vast majority of VIPs sit in this seat, and such placement is not a consequence of their personal desire, but only of following protocol. However, it is impossible to completely exclude the situation in which, during an accident, one car hits another in the side on the right side, and then the passenger sitting in the back seat diagonally from the driver is at greater risk than others.
Where is the safest place in the car? In fact, the most protected is the passenger who occupies a place in the center of the rear seat. If he is buckled up, he does not run the risk of being thrown through the windshield in a head-on collision, and does not run the same risk of being hit in the side of the car as the passengers sitting to his left and right.