Is the brace position in an air emergency effective?
For as long as aircraft safety videos have been suggesting we adopt the brace position in the event of an air accident, conspiracy theorists have debated the actual effectiveness of the pose. And to a certain extent you can see where they’re coming from. A plane crash involves huge speeds and tonnes of metal and you would wonder how much different a simple duck can make.
But, when these theorists start giving their explanations their arguments starts to go off the rails a little bit. An example of the gloomy theories (which, we should importantly add have been debunked by research) are the suggestions that the brace position is only useful for preserving passenger’s teeth for identification purposes, and that the brace position actually increases the chance of death (theoretically reducing medical insurance costs for the airline) or, perhaps most morbidly, ensures a quick and painless death for passengers. But, as we mentioned, these theories have been debunked.
But as Steve Allright, a British Airways training captain, insists the brace position currently used by airlines is the most effective manner of providing crash protection and has saved lives, “Flying is one of the safest forms of transport. The need to use the brace position is incredibly rare. However, it is a globally recognised safety technique. The last major refinement to the brace position in Britain was introduced following research into cabin safety after the Kegworth crash in 1989, which studied the resulting injuries from those who did and did not adopt the brace position.”
And the brace position has been found to save lives, when adopted. In 1991 when Scandinavian Airlines Flight 751 all passengers aboard survived with the adoption of the brace position a significant factor and in the emergency landing US Airways Flight 1549 in 2009, dubbed the miracle of Houston, the brace position was also found to be a contributing factor to the passenger’s safety.
But what’s the perfect form for the brace position?
“To adopt the brace position passengers should place their feet and knees together with their feet firmly on the floor,” adds Mr Allright. “Feet should be flat or on the balls of their feet, and further back than the knees. In the event of an impact, this position helps prevent shins and legs being broken against the base of the seat in front, which would obviously hinder evacuation.”
“Passengers should bend as far forward as possible, if it's in reach, they should rest their head against the seat in front, with hands placed on the back of their head. Hands should be placed on top of one another (not with fingers interlocked), elbows should be tucked in to their sides. The head should be as far below the top of the seats as possible. This position prevents flailing of the arms, minimises the risk of broken fingers and protects the head from moving objects.”
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