Airplanes, which are considered to be the safest means of transportation, actually host a problem that has not been solved for decades. Planes actually use waist belts, which offer lower security than the shoulder belts found in cars. So what’s the reason for this?
Interestingly, there is no answer to this question that we can say ‘why’. On the contrary, there are financial, psychological, and indeed ‘competence’ reasons for the existence of waist belts on airplanes.
Isn’t our life precious? Actually not quite a bit, according to aircraft manufacturers, because otherwise the cost goes up:
The waist belts on airplanes consist of parts coming out of the two sides of the seat. This structure, which is in the ‘two-point belt’ class, sticks us to the seat of the plane only from our waist area.
Of course, such a simple operation of the system actually works for aircraft manufacturers and airline companies. Because if three, four or five-point belts used by the pilots were to be in each passenger seat, the system of the seats would be changed, the seats would be wider and fewer passengers could be accommodated with the reduced volume.
However, of course, integrating these systems into every seat also means increased costs. Of course, it doesn’t just end there.
On the one hand, there is the psychology of the passengers:
The year is 2022, but we can still see passengers who insist on not wearing seat belts on airplanes. Even those simple two-point waist belts! There is actually a reason to make passengers feel more comfortable with their seat belts.
If we were to wear three-point belts in cars, not even four or five-point belts like pilots or flight crews, many passengers would probably be bothered by the extra mobility barrier coming. Of course, complaints would increase and more passengers would oppose wearing seat belts.
Most importantly, waist belts that satisfy both the manufacturer and the passenger are still considered ‘sufficiently safe’:
It’s good to face the fact: If you’re in an airplane that is out of control and crashing rapidly, your chances of survival are very low, unfortunately. In these situations, even a ten-point belt cannot save our lives.
That’s why existing seat belts only offer ‘adequate’ safety. In fact, the reason we wear seat belts on the plane is not to increase our chances of surviving an accident, but to make a safe journey during the flight.
Seat belts stand out, especially on an airplane caught in turbulence. Two-point seat belts prevent us from jumping out of our seats and hitting our heads in the aircraft, which is constantly moving up and down during turbulence, and helps us avoid serious injuries. Many videos of those who do not wear their seat belts are circulating on the Internet as follows:
Our seat belt is two-point, why do pilot and flight crew use different seat belts?
In fact, we are all on the same plane, whether we crash or land together successfully. So why do pilots and flight crew seat belts consist of four- and five-point seat belts? In fact, there is another very simple reason for this: Security.
When the plane takes off or lands, the flight crew sits in a different position than all of us in the cabin, usually in the opposite direction of us. Therefore, they need four-point seat belts that hold them from both shoulders and waist to be more secure in their seat.
Although the pilots are sitting in the same direction as all of us, of course, the situation is different for them. Pilots need to stay ‘pebbled’ in their seats under all circumstances, so that they can easily access all the controls of the plane. Even when the plane enters heavy turbulence, the pilots are practically glued to the plane seat.
So, new things are not being thought of?
- Seat belt crash test in a helicopter at NASA’s Langley Research Center
Aircraft manufacturers have been experimenting with new features and designs for seat belts on passenger aircraft for decades. But in each of these trials, they face engineering, financial, and passenger behavior problems.
Although aircraft manufacturers do not yet have plans to say goodbye to the two-point seat belt, the current system is constantly being developed. Of course, as we mentioned, we do not have much chance in a high-speed fall of an aircraft, so the main safety measures are taken in systems that will prevent these aircraft from falling. Let’s talk about this subject in another content if you wish.
- Sources: FAA, How Stuff Works, NBC News, Aero Savvy, The Sun
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