Crashes aren’t the only reasons people get injured on a plane.
Seat belts save lives, both when riding in a car and on a plane.
Statistics show thatseat belts are instrumentalin keeping commuters safe.
Margot Cavin/Travel + Leisure
So, why the doesn’t the same logic apply to air travel?
Here’s why the safest move is to stay seated and buckled in on an airplane.
Rest assured, though, there’s a good reason for the different design.
Lift lever belts were used before airplanes even existed, but they became common in airplanes by the 1940s.
The lift lever belt remains the most common because it’s cost-effective and lightweight.
Moreover, while pilots and crew might also wear shoulder straps, passengers usually get only a lap belt.
Lap belts work to keep you on your seat in turbulence.
The simplistic design of the lift lever lap belt means passengers can buckle up quickly and easily when needed.
Some avoid wearing seat belts on a plane because they believe the belts could hinder an evacuation.
If theres a fire in the cabin, youd want to get out as quickly as possible, right?
Sometimes, though, turbulence can occur out of the blue.
This is called clear-air turbulence, and it can happen even in cloudless conditions.
When the seat belt sign is on, passengers should avoid calling for an attendant for safety reasons.
