Popular Mechanics did a study on where it was safest to sit on an airplane based on all commercial jet crashes since 1971. Contrary to expert statements that “one seat is safe as the other,” the study found that it is safer to sit in the back.

The funny thing about all those expert opinions: They’re not really based on hard data about actual airline accidents. A look at real-world crash stats, however, suggests that the farther back you sit, the better your odds of survival. Passengers near the tail of a plane are about 40 percent more likely to survive a crash than those in the first few rows up front.

The percentages in the above graphic are survival rates.

[Thanks, Tim]