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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Travel
Milo Boyd

Safest seat on a plane for surviving a crash according to travel experts

Expert aviation analysis has revealed which seat on a plane is the safest, including in the very unlikely event there is a crash.

While getting on a plane is a run-of-the-mill activity for a lot of people, for a sizeable chunk of the population it is a terrifying process.

As statistically unlikely as being involved in a crash is, many fearful fliers like to feel as though they're doing all they can to protect themselves in the worst case scenario.

While flying coaches have shared their top tips to help nervous fliers, new anaylsis by TIME could also provide some comfort, as it's revealed the safest seats on a plane.

Certain seats are safer than others (Getty Images)

Statistics show that the middle seats in the back of an aircraft historically have the highest survival rates.

The magazine's travel experts studied plane crashes in the US over the past 35 years, and compared 17 crashes with both fatalities and survivors between 1985 to 2000.

Seats in the back third of planes had the lowest fatality rates, followed by the middle third and then the front third.

As for which seat to choose on a row? Middle seats at the back of the plane had the lowest fatality rates.

Survivors who are near an exit are more likely to get out alive following a crash, a 2008 study from the University of Greenwich found.

Before you throw all your money at Ryanair seat booking fees, it is worth noting that flying is a very safe way to travel.

Sitting at the back of the plane is the way to go (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The odds of dying in a car during your lifetime are around one in 229 if you're in the UK. Contrastingly, your lifetime odds of dying in a plane crash are just one in 8,000.

If those figures aren't enough to soothe you, then flying coach Paul recommends breaking down the likely steps of a flight before you get on the plane.

For many people, the horror of getting on a commercial jet comes as soon as the doors close and getting off the aircraft is no longer possible.

One potentially effective way to control this fear is by having a check-list which runs through everything which is likely to happen on a flight to help gain a sense of power, Paul explained.

He told the Mirror: "A flight checklist of every step of the flight from check-in to the other end, people find that helpful because it's very logical.

"Knowledge is power is the cliche. You can tick off the sounds that can be enough to get somebody to do a flight."

Paul also suggests learning breathing techniques (detailed in episode 44 of his podcast ) that can help to steady the nerves.

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