Seats in Full Upright Position

Q: Why is it required to have the seatbacks in their "full upright position" for takeoff and landing?

For one thing, it allows easier access to the aisles in the event of an evacuation. Also, it keeps your body in the safest position during an impact: it reduces the distance your head would travel backward, thus lessening whiplash-style injuries, and prevents you from "submarining" under the seatbelt in a crash.

Article added on September 20, 2005

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