Remember that amazing story about a guy who sawed off his arm when he couldn't lift the boulder that had trapped him in a desert canyon? Or the hikers, skydivers, airplane crash survivors, and other people who have cheated death?
There is something to be learned from all of their experiences. Former TV producer Ben Sherwood has gathered these tales in a book called The Survivors Club (www.thesurvivorsclub.org; $25.99). Published by Grand Central back in 2009, I have only just come across this book, which reveals the safest seat in the airplane, the safest place to have a heart attack, and how birthdays can be hazardous to your health.
According to this book, the safest airplane seat is on the aisle within five rows of an exit. The safest place to have a heart attack (aside from a good hospital) is a big Las Vegas casino, where guards are always on the alert (for cheats) and there are plenty of CPR devices. And statisticians have found that birthdays can be hazardous to your health, because so many elderly people die right after them (for women) or just before them (for men).
Plane Crashes: Stats & Facts
Among the startling bits of information in the book is the statement that the survival rate in plane crashes is 95.7% (the rate between 1983 and 2000, according to the National Transportation Safety Board). That's because the chances of you dying in a plane crash is one in 60 million, which turns out to be equal to traveling once a day for 164,000 years before your number is up, statistically speaking.
The book points out that the most dangerous time in a plane is during takeoff and landing, or as the author puts it, the first three minutes of flight and the last eight minutes of flight. The book describes one crash landing in San Diego and the reaction of billionaire David Koch, who survived by looking for a different way out than the one everyone else was lining up to use.
The book points out that you should be able to exit a plane after the crash (if you are still alive) within 90 seconds, as a fire will leave you only that amount of time before the fumes knock you out. On entering the plane at your departure point, you should have looked all around your seat for the nearest and second-nearest exits, you should have read the emergency card, and listened to the flight attendant's briefing.
If you're a careful passenger, you won't drink alcohol just before boarding nor on the flight, nor will you down a sleeping pill to take you away to Dreamland. And during the critical three minutes of takeoff and the eight minutes before landing, you will not read, listen to your music, watch the movies, or otherwise distract yourself. You will, in short, review your action plan should there be an emergency. That plan will get you to your nearest exit and out of the plane before 90 seconds are up.
Safety Tips for Flying
Generally, you should fasten your seatbelt tightly and try to avoid bulkhead seats because there are no cushioned seats in front of you to absorb the impact of a crash, Sherwood writes. Sherwood also tells passengers that obesity can kill you in the plane because you may not fit through the window exits.
Everyone should wear good walking or running shoes, preferably with lace-ups (no high heels). Trousers are recommended for both men and women instead of shorts or skirts. Long-sleeved shirts are also better than short-sleeved, I assume. You may even want to consider a smoke hood, though there are some disadvantages to these, too. (Mr. Koch always carries one in his briefcase now, Sherwood says.)
But the most important tip the author gives us is to have the right attitude: be prepared (like the Boy Scouts), but relax (to avoid stress) and enjoy your trip.
Robert Haru Fisher is pro bono vice president of the not-for-profit charity, the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers (www.iamat.org), now celebrating its 50th anniversary.