Friday 13th – feeling lucky?

If you’re reading this from the safety of your bed, having decided that this is one day that the risk of going out to work is just too great then maybe you have a point.

Risk Management News

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If you’re reading this from the safety of your bed, having decided that this is one day that the risk of going out to work is just too great then maybe you have a point. The dangers of Friday 13th may be down to superstition but some people would rather not take any chances.

British insurance company Churchill reports that some drivers believe that new cars are at greater risk of accident than older ones; as nothing has yet happened to the vehicle, the balance of probability means it will; to counter this they will damage the car themselves in an inconspicuous area to affect the odds. 

Interestingly, a study by insurers in the Netherlands found there were fewer road accidents on Friday 13th due to a lower volume of vehicles on the road on the date. "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," statistician Alex Hoen told the Verzekerd insurance magazine.

The Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in North Carolina calculated that the cost to business in the US from Friday 13th is up to $900 million due to lost productivity from employees staying at home and the general population taking fewer risks. 
 

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