Friday the 13th may be infamous for bad luck but new research from Hibernian Aviva, Ireland's largest motor insurer, shows that Friday 13th is actually safer than an average Friday!
- Hibernian Aviva looking out for motorists with road safety advice
Friday the 13th may be infamous for bad luck but new research from Hibernian Aviva, Ireland's largest motor insurer, shows that Friday 13th is actually safer than an average Friday! Hibernian Aviva insures one in four cars on Irish roads and says that between 2007-2008 there were 14% less accidents on Friday 13th than any other Friday.
The fear of bad luck on Friday 13th may cause drivers to be more careful when driving and this may be one reason why there are actually fewer accidents on Friday 13th when compared to normal Friday's. To look out for motorists and to help make every Friday safer on our roads Hibernian Aviva and the Hibernian Aviva Driving School has published a new "handy hints" guide for safer motoring on its website www.hibernianaviva.ie/.
Hibernian Aviva's findings show that car accidents are more likely to occur on the first Friday of the month with the average number of accidents in 2007 and 2008 being 170 compared to just 147 accidents on Friday 13th. This suggests that the fears around bad luck on Friday 13th have a positive impact on driving behaviour making our roads safer for everyone, something which we need to encourage to improve road safety in Ireland every day.
Examining the type of accidents reported on Friday's the most common collision is the rear end impact. Advising motorists on ways to reduce the potential for a rear end impact David O'Rourke of Hibernian Aviva Driving School said: "Our aim is to make motorists safer drivers for life and when delivering driver training one of the key things we teach is how to create space on the road and we use the 'two second rule' which is important in helping to avoid rear end collisions and impacts. The 'two second rule' is simple; always leave two seconds between you and the car in front of you in good conditions and double that time when driving in poor weather."
Hibernian Aviva is always looking out for your safety on the road and in conjunction with the Hibernian Aviva Driving School has published the following hints for motorists.
- Leave more space between yourself and other road users
- Use appropriate speed for the conditions at the time
- Do not try to make up time on the road
Additional tips for safer driving.
1. Prepare your car for the road before you leave, make sure:
- You have good quality, well inflated tyres
- You have a clean, demisted windscreen and working, effective wipers
- Your headrest is properly positioned behind your head (not your neck) to prevent whiplash.
2. Drive carefully:
- Always drive with your dipped headlights on, no matter what the time of day. This is particularly important in poor weather
- Speed limits are not targets - keep to a safe speed that's appropriate to driving conditions
- While moving use he "two second rule" - leave two seconds between you and the car in front of you in good conditions. ~When the vehicle in front of you passes any stationary object and count the time in seconds before you pass that object You can use the phrase "Only a fool breaks the two second rule" This takes about two seconds to say and you should have finished the phrase before passing the stationary object
- Double that time when driving in poor weather.
And lastly, never drive if you've been drinking or taking drugs. Do not travel with a person who is under the influence of either.
-ends-
For further information contact:
Alan Tyrrell
Group Media Relations Manager
Hibernian Aviva
Telephone: 01 8985452
Mobile: 086 850 8673
Notes to editors:
About Hibernian Aviva
Hibernian Aviva has been part of Ireland's insurance industry for the last hundred years and has grown to become one of the largest and most successful organisations in the country with businesses in General Insurance, Life & Pensions and most recently the health insurance sector. Part of the world's fifth largest insurance group Aviva plc, the company has approximately 1.2 million customers in Ireland and offices in Dublin, Cork and Galway with a branch network in 27 other locations.