However, despite the beliefs of these 17-21 million people, there is no evidence that accidents
are more likely to happen on Friday the 13th. On the contrary, some studies have shown there are actually
fewer accidents on Friday the 13th. A recent report completed by a Dutch insurance company showed that
there were fewer incidents of fires and theft on Fridays that fell on the 13th than on any other Fridays in
the same year. It is highly probable that this reduction in accidents owes itself to the fear of Friday the 13th
itself. If people are more cautious on Friday the 13th, then there are likely to be fewer accidents.
If, then, there is no significant evidence that Friday the 13th is any more dangerous than any other
day of the year, why do friggatriskaidekaphobics remain convinced of its unluckiness? While the historical
or folk traditions discussed earlier may have something to do with this belief, people may also use
associational links to justify their superstitions. If a friggatriskaidekaphobic loses his wallet on Tuesday the
21st, for example, he would probably not assign any meaning to the date on which this event occurred. If
the same individual lost his wallet on Friday the 13th, however, he might be likely to conclude that the
inauspicious nature of Friday the 13th was at fault.
