Not wearing seat-belt in-flight

[dajop]

How on earth would an airline or anyone else go about fixing that?

As someone who for the last 7 years has had role in trying to get either employees or customers (not in airline or aviation) engage in safer behaviours and more strictly follow safety rules ... across Asia, including China, it is not easy and takes a concerted multi pronged approach and even then success is far from guaranteed. From my experience a 2 minute safety video and a cabin walk through from cabin crew is going to have only a small impact.

 

[mushez]

How on earth would an airline or anyone else go about fixing that?

Big red flashing light above each seat when a seat belt is undone? But hey, will only have them quickly do it up behind them .......... Standard Accessory supplied with most cars in China is a blank seat belt ends, to insert so no bells go off or lights are on on ones dash allowing one to drive seat belt free, guilt free.

Maybe locking them in Theme Park Style and unlocking them on request.....

Honestly I really have no idea it will ever be addressed - unless it slowly changes over two generations.

I just know any time you hear of a flight to/from China + Severe Turbulence = Expect reports of multiple injured to follow which if reported or not, will involve the blatant refusal to wear seat belts when instructed.


There is a reason they take any form of lighter off any Passenger when going through security in China, be it a 20 cent cheapie, to $500 zippo - it is to stop PAX lighting up on the flight, inc in toilets, and setting rubbish baskets alight in the loos discarding ciggys when the door is knocked on. Only way to get any traction in no smoking on flights, is to take away the means for them to light up. Fly on a flight direct from AU to China - and odds are, you will have someone light up on the flight - because AU security don't take the means to light up off them on the return flight.

 

[FlyboyAl]

35 plus years ago, I was in a TAA DC9 or 727 flying MEL - HBA.
We hit SEVERE turbulence between Launceston and Hobart and I will NEVER forget the look of terror on the face of the flight attendant as she was spreadeagled on the ceiling of the aircraft above me!!! She was looking down at me, and I was looking up at her.
It was a meal service, and there was no announcement of any turbulence (before radar could see it).
I also remember my arms being totally weightless while this was going on. And yes, I was a good boy and did have my seatbelt on.
I also still vividly remember the flight attendant coming down from the ceiling and being spread over my seat and the one next to me.
She was screaming and crying, half the rest of the plane was doing the same, the meals were everywhere, including all over me and the plane was a total mess.
We got to Hobart and were met by a number of ambulances and medial staff.
The girl who came down on top of me had either a broken arm or broken collar bone - I don't know which, but she was quite a mess.
It made the local news and cleaning the aircraft must have been a real challenge.
I will NEVER not wear a seatbelt when I am in an aircraft, other than the usual comfort trips to the loo.

The problem is that about 99.9% of passengers, and even a large percentage of the crew, have never seen severe turbulence. So, the upshot is that the level that is about mild is assigned as severe in most peoples' minds. And whilst that might make it difficult to walk, it really isn't a patch on the effect of the real stuff. But, as people think they have a handle on what it will look/feel like, they decide that seat belts are optional.

A flick to the roof at between -.5 and -1 g would be bad enough, but then you come back down at 2 to 3 g. And you won't land in your seat, but on someone else near you. Or the armrest. Or something else inconvenient.

 

[JohnK]

How do you feel about infant seatbelts? Personally I feel they offer zero protection.

Hopeless. My daughter keeps wiggling out of them. At times the seat belt isn't even around her and it's just my wife holding her.

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

i dun understand why people don't just leave the seatbelt on all the time. loosen if you want, but realise you only need to drop 1M and you'll hit your head.

Might be harsh, but i have no sympathy for someone injured because they didn't have their seatbelt on.

 

[OzEire]

i dun understand why people don't just leave the seatbelt on all the time. loosen if you want, but realise you only need to drop 1M and you'll hit your head.

Might be harsh, but i have no sympathy for someone injured because they didn't have their seatbelt on.

I think most people I know do wear seatbelts when seated. But it is a different matter when talking about comfort trips to the bathroom or even leg stretch walks on a long (14 hr) flight. Nonsense to think people won't need or simply take one at some point.

It makes sense for the warning light to be used judiciously when there is a risk, not simply kept on for legal reasons, crowd control, or similar.

 

[NZflygirl]

I'll confess I'm a wuss when it comes to turbulence as confirmed by a mildly turbulent TT crossing recently and FA's being up around, and actually many other pax. I wanted to pee but the seat belt sign was on. Made it to the Oz airport but it was unpleasant to hold for so long! Personally I felt that some of it bordered on moderate turbulence but on asking the FA what their definition was they said 'mild' which I figured would be the case as they weren't asked to be seated either.

My definition of levels of turbulence:
Mild if seat belt sign on and cabin crew still allowed to walk around
Moderate if cabin crew be seated
Severe if food or people end up on the walls!

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

I think most people I know do wear seatbelts when seated. But it is a different matter when talking about comfort trips to the bathroom or even leg stretch walks on a long (14 hr) flight. Nonsense to think people won't need or simply take one at some point.

It makes sense for the warning light to be used judiciously when there is a risk, not simply kept on for legal reasons, crowd control, or similar.

True. I just dun get why people in their seat don't wear their seatbelt on a flight.

Maybe the safety videos need to put a bit of fear into people as to what can happen to them if the plane hits some turbulence.

 

[dajop]

True. I just dun get why people in their seat don't wear their seatbelt on a flight.

The same reason people don't wear seatbelts in a car, or helmets when riding a motorcycle, where there risks are significantly greater. Often it is cultural - and possibly that they haven't been conditioned since birth to wear seat belts. I got into my transfer at Kolkata airport the other day to go to hotel - we sat in backseat and had to fish around for the seat belt sockets which were beneath the seat, and the driver just told us not required if in back seat (I said for me it is required).

 

[Simo]

People walking around when seat belt light is on really annoys me...

I was in the toilet and seat belt light came on I finished off and walked out of the toilet and was told to sit in a empty seat until light went off...

A FA broke there leg on a flight in the past week or so due to turbulence unfortunately the FA got up to do something and hurt themselves...Airline not happy and they are now in trouble over it...This was VA

Will they get full work cover union is fighting for them...

 

[mushez]

People walking around when seat belt light is on really annoys me...

I was in the toilet and seat belt light came on I finished off and walked out of the toilet and was told to sit in a empty seat until light went off...

A FA broke there leg on a flight in the past week or so due to turbulence unfortunately the FA got up to do something and hurt themselves...Airline not happy and they are now in trouble over it...This was VA

Will they get full work cover union is fighting for them...

Best not fly a Mainland Chinese Airline, where the seat belt sign is on from gate to gate on most of them on most flights.

 

[AnnaB]

Best not fly a Mainland Chinese Airline, where the seat belt sign is on from gate to gate on most of them on most flights.

I know!! Took me an hour into my first flight before I realised it would never go off! Really annoying when you are waiting to be able to get to a bathroom....

 

[Pushka]

People walking around when seat belt light is on really annoys me...

I was in the toilet and seat belt light came on I finished off and walked out of the toilet and was told to sit in a empty seat until light went off...

A FA broke there leg on a flight in the past week or so due to turbulence unfortunately the FA got up to do something and hurt themselves...Airline not happy and they are now in trouble over it...This was VA

Will they get full work cover union is fighting for them...

I understand with 'workcover' there is no 'blame' as long as injury occurred doing work activities in work time.