Swedish insurance company: Fewer accidents on Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th occurs up to three times a year, and it is a date that is traditionally associated with bad luck and accidents of various kinds.

The swedish insurance company Folksam has reviewed all registered claims and accidents over the past ten years and can confirm that the date cannot be classified as an “unlucky day” based on the available data.

The insurer has received approximately three million claims across all categories, including all-risk, motor, and personal insurance. It is evident that more claims are filed on weekends, as people tend to be more active during that time.

“The statistics show that the number of claims occurring on Friday the 13th is actually lower than on other Fridays. The press release states that all-risk or drunk driving injuries are down by almost 12%, personal injuries by 6%, and motor vehicle injuries by about 4%”, says a press release.

– The old story about Friday the thirteenth, that it would be a really unlucky day, we can probably put that behind us. We are simply no longer unlucky on Friday the 13th. In fact, it is quite the opposite, the claims reported to Folksam on Friday the thirteenth in the last decade have actually decreased. It is possible that we are a little extra cautious and superstitious on that particular day, for safety’s sake, says claims prevention officer Erika Olsson.

“Should be called Injury Prevention Day”

It is also noted that the most commonly reported “accidents” are stolen, water-damaged, or lost cell phones, as well as injuries such as broken bones, wounds, and injuries from shocks or blows. It is no surprise that car accidents mainly involve stone chips, collisions with other vehicles, and engine breakdowns.

“Other more unusual accidents can range from accidentally washing your car keys, driving off with the engine heater plugged in, or forgetting the roof box and suddenly coming to a standstill as you pull into the garage”, they state . However, there is no evidence to suggest that this is more common on Friday the 13th.

– We tend to be a little extra careful on Friday the 13th, so that we avoid or prevent injuries rather than having to deal with them extra. It’s time we simply started calling Friday the 13th Injury Prevention Day, concludes Erika Olsson.