Does Friday the 13th Really Bring Bad Luck?

Is Friday the 13^th really an unlucky day? Should we all just stay home to be safe? The evidence is unclear.

For instance, a British study that was conducted in 1993 discovered a disturbing rise in auto accidents on the day. In an article published in the British Medical Journal, researchers chronicled how they had compared records of automobile accidents on successive Fridays – the 6th and 13^th — over a number of years.

The researchers found that there was, indeed, a rise in the number of hospital admissions due to vehicle mishaps on Friday the 13^th. This was true even though there were fewer motorists on the road due to superstition.

However, a 2008 report from the Dutch Centre for Insurance Statistics (CVS) found that reports of accidents and theft were actually lower on Friday the 13^th vs. other Fridays.

Are the Dutch luckier than the British? There’s no evidence to suggest this as a general rule.

Psychologists do note that fear itself can lead us to be more accident-prone than we normally might be. After all, a preoccupation with superstition may lead to distraction – and distracted people are statistically more likely to have accidents.

If you’re worried about this being Friday the 13^th, just think back on all the Friday the 13ths you’ve lived through where nothing went wrong. Think of how many times you didn’t even know it was Friday the 13^th until someone reminded you of it.

See, it’s just another day.