Overview
- State accident data and ADAC analyses report no significant increase in crashes on Fridays that fall on the 13th, with the motoring group noting slightly fewer incidents than on other Fridays.
- AOK says sick notes do not rise on these dates, and risk experts warn that worry itself can influence behavior without changing overall outcomes.
- Global aviation records since 1945 show no clustering of crashes on the 13th or on Fridays, though a flight comparison portal reports below‑average flying in Germany on such days.
- Psychologists highlight confirmation bias as the reason ordinary mishaps feel meaningful on this date; the coined term paraskevidekatriaphobia names the fear but is not a clinical diagnosis.
- The superstition blends religious and mythological roots and was amplified by books and films, varies across cultures (e.g., Tuesday the 13th in Spain, Friday the 17th in Italy), and recurs three times in 2026.