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It's supposed to be the safest form of transport, so how come a third of the population say they are frightened of flying?
The trouble is that there seem to be so many things that can go wrong:
- What if your air traffic controller is having a bad day?
- What if the plane's broken?
- What about deep vein thrombosis?
The truth is that though there's a lot to go wrong, things hardly ever do. Unlike most forms of transport, flying keeps getting safer.
There is a 1 in 16 million chance of having a single fatality on a flight. Even then it might not be you. In the vast majority of cases, when one or more person dies on a flight, more than half of the other passengers survive.
Plan your escape
So why do some people get out of crashes and not others? If your plane needs to be evacuated in an emergency, you need to know where the exits are. The people who get out are often the ones who have read the safety instructions and listened to the pre-flight briefing. They already know what to do.
Knowing escape procedures will not help if a crash happens in mid-air. Thankfully, this happens very rarely.
Trust the pros
Air traffic control is a difficult job and most of us might find it very stressful. However, there are lots of safeguards in place.
We've all had those times when we are stuck on a plane while the captain waits for a slot to take off. It's an annoying situation, but that's often the way that air traffic controllers keep us safe. That's not to say things couldn't be safer. But as time goes on and more automation takes over, the chances of mid-air collisions and near misses should be reduced.
Deep vein thrombosis
So is there anything else you should be worrying about? Well, if you are going on a long-haul flight, your personal health is a potential worry.
Some people have a predisposition for a condition called deep vein thrombosis. This is when a blood clot forms in the deep veins of the leg. If it doesn't disperse, it can move up into the lungs. This is a fatal condition and has been linked to flying.
The trouble is that you can't move about on a plane which means that there is some chance of a clot forming. The problem can also be exacerbated by drinking too much and sleeping in an awkward position.
You can help reduce the risk of developing deep vein thrombosis by:
- lowering your alcohol intake.
- exercising as much as possible.
- wearing compression stockings, which increase your circulation.
So should we worry about flying? We think not. As long as you pay attention to safety information, exercise on long-haul flights and watch your head when removing items from the overhead lockers, you should be fine.
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