Between one and three times a year we are so unlucky, or lucky, that the thirteenth day of the month falls on a Friday. The unlucky day, Friday the 13th. It is difficult to find out where the superstition originates. The number 13 has traditions of being called an unlucky number. In Christian tradition, Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday. But no one knows for sure the origin behind the combination. It is probably a relatively modern concept. For the insurance companies, however, it has become the opposite – a lucky day. Are you extra careful on Friday the 13th? Yes, I’m terrified Well, maybe a little No, I’m as careful or careless as usual No, I’m actually extra careless on Friday the 13th Show result Good relationship with the day of the accident In the center of Bodø there is little to indicate that this Friday is more marked by misfortune than other Fridays. The weather is exceptionally nice, compared to the rest of October so far. Johan Arnesen has actually not realized that today is a special day. – Friday the 13th today? I realized it was something. No, I don’t have a good relationship with that day, he says and laughs. – No, I’m just kidding. It is Friday. And it’s sun and summer, almost. So that’s nice. – Insurance companies say people collide less today than usual. What do you think about it? – People are terrified of colliding, I reckon. They drive extra carefully. Torodd Olsen agrees with Johan Arnesen that there is nothing special about Friday the 13th. Photo: ALEXANDER KJØNSØ KARLSEN / news – I take it as a completely normal day. It’s probably something we’ve come up with ourselves. Don’t you think so? asks Torodd Olsen. However, he believes that the pleasant statistics come from people being more cautious due to superstition. – People don’t go out. They leave the car and the boat in the mooring that day. Fridays are usually prone to injury. Therese Hofstad-Nielsen, injury prevention officer at Fremtind, tells news that their figures show that there are fewer accidents on Friday the 13th compared to other days of the year. – We can speculate on old superstitions. Maybe we are extra careful this day. Photo: Fremtid But Friday is basically a day when many people are a little too busy. – Friday is usually an injury-prone day. This is usually when we go to our cabins, or on holiday, says Hofstad-Nielsen and adds: – Mondays and Fridays are often prone to injury. Then it is somewhat interesting to see that Friday the 13th, back in time, is less vulnerable to damage. Unlike Friday the 13th, Christmas Eve and May 16 are the most injury-prone days of the year. – Stress levels and inattention increase. That is the reason for these dent days, says Hofstad-Nielsen. Tom André Karlsen thinks it is very superstitious to believe that there is more misfortune on Friday the 13th than otherwise. Photo: ALEXANDER KJØNSØ KARLSEN / news A day of happiness? Tom André Karlsen says, like the others in the center of Bodø, that he actually believes in accident days. He thinks it’s a completely normal day. – There tend to be good days on Friday the 13th too – What do you think of people who are extra careful on a day like Friday the 13th? – I can understand it from old times. Kristine Norland and Gjermund Okstad go in the opposite direction. Or in the same direction as the figures from the insurance company. Norland and Okstad think it’s a good day. Maybe an extra good day? Photo: ALEXANDER KJØNSØ KARLSEN / news – I have a good relationship with Friday the 13th, Kristine says before Gjermund chimes in: – It’s a lucky day, isn’t it? In any case, we have arrived at that time of year when the roads get smoother and smoother and the light fades more and more. Hofstad-Nielsen says that, regardless of superstition, you should follow three tips in traffic going forward: Ensure that you have the right tires on the car with regard to driving. Leave the mobile phone while driving. Keep a good distance from the car in front of you.
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Friday the 13th – Fewer collisions on the day of the accident – news Nordland
