After the crew have armed their doors, they will begin the safety demonstration. Let's look at what they tell you and why. First they will point out the safety instruction card. It relies on symbols to explain various safety aspects specific to that aircraft, so it won't matter whether you speak the local language or not - you should be able to understand the information it contains.

Next you will be given a demonstration of how the seatbelt operates. Statistics have shown that in accidents, many passengers have wasted time initially looking for the seatbelt catch somewhere at their side, because a car seatbelt is the one most people are used to. Even for those who are very familiar with aircraft seatbelts, there have been documented cases where passengers have delayed evacuating because the buckle had turned so that the catch was against their stomach. In the dark, they were unable to ascertain this - at this point, panic could easily set in if your life is in danger. It should be pointed out that for reasons of safety, the catch must be lifted greater than ninety degrees in order to unfasten. Releasing the seatbelt has to be a positive action.

The crew will next point out all the exits on the aircraft. They do this, because in many accidents survivors, dazed and disorientated, have been known to head towards the exit they boarded the aircraft by, even if it is considerably further than their nearest exit. If you did this in a smoke-filled cabin, it could seriously decrease your chances of survival. Knowing where your nearest exit is and how it operates also helps to reduce the likelihood of suffering negative panic, or behavioural inaction. This usually occurs in sudden accidents on or near the ground where passengers remain in their seats, in shock. If you know where to go and how to get out, you are far less likely to be a victim of this phenomenon. It ought to be stressed at this point, that statistics of aircraft accidents over the past decade indicate that over 70% of accidents occur on take-off or landing - the most critical part of the flight.

Fire/Smoke
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