Why your seat needs to be upright for take-off and landing

Anyone who has ever flown on a commercial aircraft should be familiar with the strict rules and procedures in place for passengers. Safety is any carrier’s top priority and many of the procedures in place are required by law. But have you ever wondered: why does your seat need to be upright for take-off and landing? Flight attendants often seem obsessed with this particular procedure — but there’s a good reason why. We take a closer look at one of the airline industry’s most important safety regulations.

Who is responsible for enforcing the regulation?

Placing your seat in the upright position for take-off and landing is a requirement in every major country around the world. In most cases, it is required by law. In the USA, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is responsible for ensuring all American airliners impose the rule on every flight. In the UK, it’s the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and in Canada, it’s the Transport Canada Civil Aviation Authority. Airlines can be prosecuted and fined if they don’t impose the regulation on every flight. Passengers who fail to comply with the requirement can also face fines, prosecution and blacklisting from flights.

Most airplane accidents occur during take-off and landing

It’s a well-known industry fact that most air accidents occur during take-off and landing. A study conducted by Boeing found that around 58 percent of fatal plane crashes occur during these critical stages. This is why flight attendants give their undivided attention to safety during take-off and landing. While the likelihood of a commercial plane crash is very small these days, airline crew always plan for the worst.

Safe and fast disembarking

Flight crews are responsible for the safe and fast disembarkation of a plane in the event of a crash. If evacuation pathways on a plane are blocked, vital seconds can be lost. Plane seats must be in the upright position during take-off and landing in case an emergency requires a fast evacuation. It has been shown that people struggle to maneuver their way out of their seat if the seats in front of them are tilted back.

Protecting the passenger’s face and neck

Even a bumpy landing can cause people to lurch forward. If the seat in front is tilted back, there’s a much greater chance of the passenger’s head slamming into it. In the event of a crash, such an event can prove fatal. Facial and neck injuries caused by the seat in front are rare, but they do happen. But the person whose seat is reclined is also increasing their risk of injury in the event of a crash landing. Their head has further to travel before making impact with the seat in front; generating more force and risking a much more severe injury.

Bracing for impact

One of the most important parts of any flight crew’s safety demonstration is what to do in the event of a crash. Take the brace position, for example. It involves keeping your legs together, sitting straight, and lowering your head down to your knees. You’re also expected to protect your head with both your hands. However, this position is awkward at the best times. If your seat isn’t in an upright position, it can be even more difficult to adopt. The brace position is now a universally recognized safety procedure on commercial flights — and with good reason. When an Australian twin-engined plane crashed carrying 16 passengers, there was only one survivor. While the rest of the passengers were sleeping, the sole survivor managed to adopt the brace position just before the crash.

It’s important to put all of this into context. Commercial airplane crashes are rarer than ever. Overall, the chances of you being involved in a plane crash are around 11 million to one. And in developed countries with very tight safety regulations, those odds are even higher. Moreover, the survival rate for air crashes is around 95%. There’s a reason why people say flying is the safest way to travel. Book your next flight with BudgetAir.com — just be sure to put your seat in the upright position for take-off and landing!