As a passenger though, you have little control over the expertise of your pilot, but you can help to decrease the chances of hurting yourself.

Adopting a brace position, knowing where the exits are, staying calm, having an exit strategy in place, choosing a safe seat and wearing your seatbelt are all measures you can adopt to stay in one piece after a plane has crash landed.

To expand a little on these points:

Brace yourself

On board guidelines will show you how best to brace yourself, but the basic idea is to get your upper body as low as possible to reduce the chances of you hitting your head, hold on so you don’t knock around into the seat in front of you or the passengers beside you and bring in your legs so they don’t get crushed or broken by the seat in front of you.

Stay calm

Not an easy task, but certainly an important one. A clear head will help you get off the plane faster, without trampling anyone or causing even more panic in your fellow passengers.

Know where the exits are

A plane may well crash into darkness, or be filled with smoke. It may even be sinking. If you know exactly where the exits are, with your eyes closed, then you have a better chance of gettign to them quickly.

Safe seating

Some stats say that the back of the palne is the safest place to sit, so iff you subscribe to this theory then choose a seat near the back of the plane.

Buckle up

As in a car, wear your seatbelt at all times, and wear it tight. Also, don’t let yourself panic and forget that it is a buckle type seatbelt, if you are in a crash situation and need to leave your seat in a hurry don’t waste time in a panicky search for the push button release found in a car. Many people do...

If you are feeling nervous about a long flight, speak to your travel agent, or better yet, your travel insurance agent, as they will be in the best position to advise you on pre flight and after crash counselling if you feel you need it.

Direct Line travel insurance offers counselling for those affected by crime while travelling. Direct Line also offers great travel insurance options, so visit www.directline.com today for a quote.

Please note that Direct Line does not control and cannot guarantee the relevance, timeliness, or accuracy of the article above.

But what does this mean for your home?

Well, try out the new Slouchpod: a new chair based on a bean bag, which means super comfy, fitted with an inbuilt speaker system so you can play your favourite tunes without leaving the comfort of your seat. It even has a 10Watt RMS sub-woofer. It’s perfect for gamers, movie watchers or just chilling at home.

For a more surreal experience, try the new LED Faucet Light, which turns the water coming from your taps a translucent blue. The glow is activated when water flows through a special chamber. Now you can brush your teeth in the dark.

A USB Powered Mini Vacuum Cleaner is exactly what every home office needs. Clean out those cookie crumbs trapped in your key board or scare the cat off it, with this little vacuum cleaner which plugs into any standard USB port.

And then, just what you’ve always wanted: a bubblegum dispenser right in your own home. This nifty gadget comes framed in its own post-modernist chrome frame and dispenses that gum when you need it most. And you don’t even need any pennies at hand.

If you are planning on owning one of these gadgets, then visit the store online today, and then make sure you get them insured with your other gadgets under your home insurance policy.

It’s a sure bet that any housebreaker will want to run off with your shiny new glow-in-the-dark faucet, and certainly your comfy Slouchpod, so contact your home insurance provider and get covered.

Direct Line offers great home insurance cover, as well as home contents cover, so get a quote today.

Please note that Direct Line does not control and cannot guarantee the relevance, timeliness, or accuracy of the article above.

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Here are a four easy ways in which to minimise clutter and keep your way clear to enjoy the year ahead:

Minimise:

Throw it out. Sort every piece of paper you have, and toss out everything that you really don’t need. Keep all the papers which you have to hang onto for years, and throw out the rest.

Organise:

Arrange all your papers together. Keep all your home improvement bills with your home insurance documents, for example, and all your car insurance papers with your car repair slips.

Categorise:

Now, file everything neatly. Store in an out of the way space, where you will be able to access them easily if you need to. File everything in order - newest receipts and papers to oldest.

If storage is a problem, look for innovative ways to store your papers and files. Consider making a DIY storage box which slides under a bed, or a high up shelf which holds all your files. If your files are to be on show for lack of space, then cover them in with paper in colours and patterns which match the rest of your home.

If your papers are properly organised, not only will you be able to find what you need in a hurry, but they will also not collect up into a messy heap – avoid the fire hazard of a pile of receipts and slips and get organised for 2009!

Direct Line home takes the hassle out of home insurance with online quotes and low premiums. Get your home insurance quote today.

Please note that Direct Line does not control and cannot guarantee the relevance, timeliness, or accuracy of the article above.

http://www.directline.com/home/welcome.htm