Strange

Unlucky Friday the 13th: Study Shows the Contrary

by Heiky | June 12, 2008 at 10:09 am

562 views | 2 Recommendations | 6 comments

Tomorrow is Friday the 13th, and many of you will think twice before buying a lottery ticket or getting into an airplane. Will paraskavedekatriaphobia (a fear of Friday the 13th) boost our population's sensory acuity and perception during that 24 hour period? By being too careful during this day, we might actually be decreasing average accident rates. Dutch staticians show us that Friday 13th, a date regarded by many as cursed, is actually safer than an average Friday.

A study published on Thursday by the Dutch Centre for Insurance Statistics (CVS) showed that fewer accidents and reports of fire and theft occur when the 13th of the month falls on a Friday than on other Fridays.

"I find it hard to believe that it is because people are preventatively more careful or just stay home, but statistically speaking, driving is a little bit safer on Friday 13th," CVS statistician Alex Hoen told the Verzekerd insurance magazine.

In the last two years, Dutch insurers received reports of an average 7,800 traffic accidents each Friday, the CVS study said. But the average figure when the 13th fell on a Friday was just 7,500.

There were also fewer incidents of fire and theft, although the average value of losses on Fridays 13th was slightly higher.

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Jordan Yerman

at 11:01 on June 12th, 2008

Though chances of encountering a hockey-masked zombie with a machete are much higher, if a certain movie series is to be believed.

JeffHuang

at 14:41 on June 12th, 2008

I think ppl are just more aware and careful on Friday the 13th

azzayindia

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 17:46 on June 12th, 2008

Heiky, I like this story. It's good stuff.

DougFunnie

at 21:38 on June 12th, 2008

Get hyped!

www.myspace.com/feedmehomey

DougFunnie has contributed a photo to this story.

..Goose..

at 06:38 on June 13th, 2008

My self portrait for a flickr 365 project, inspired by the traditional horror of Friday 13th

Goose has contributed a photo to this story.

René

at 07:00 on June 14th, 2008

Aware of the origins that Friday the 13th is unlucky? On Friday, Oct. 13, 1307, that France's King Philip IV had the Knights Templar rounded up for torture and execution.