Roadside Chat – Friday the 13th – Avoid ladders and speeding
In Western superstition, a Friday that falls on the thirteenth day of the month is considered bad luck. There are many stories about the origin of the superstition and a whole franchise showcases the bad luck of the characters that appear in the movies.
For many, Friday the thirteenth is a day where you should not tempt fate and avoid things like walking under ladders, opening an umbrella inside, or placing a mirror in a place where it could break. Other risky behavior that is smart to avoid any day of the month is speeding behind the wheel.
Speeding can have all kinds of consequences that can cause you bad luck including:
- Reducing the time you have to react if needed.
- Increasing the distance it takes for your vehicle to stop.
- Increasing the possibility that you could lose control of your vehicle.
- If you are involved in a crash your chances of your vehicle rolling over or being severe increases the greater the speed.
So why tempt fate? Go lightly on the accelerator and increase the chances that you return safely to the people and things you love.
Even though fall isn’t officially here, signs of spooky season are everywhere. For fans of the Friday the 13th franchise here’s a walk down memory lane of Jason’s look throughout the years https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9LbkZLPzKRI.
In 2024 in Iowa, 225 people have been killed in traffic crashes. That’s an increase of ten since last Friday. In Iowa in 2023, there were 377 traffic-related deaths. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to the daily fatality report at https://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/stats/daily.pdf