調查：“黑色星期五”其實並不“黑”
Dutch statisticians have established that Friday 13th, a date regarded in many countries as inauspicious, is actually safer than an average Friday.
A study published on Thursday by the Dutch Centre for Insurance Statistics (CVS) showed that fewer accidents and reports of fire and theft occur when the 13th of the month falls on a Friday than on other Fridays.
"I find it hard to believe that it is because people are preventatively more careful or just stay home, but statistically speaking, driving is a little bit safer on Friday 13th," CVS statistician Alex Hoen told the Verzekerd insurance magazine.
In the last two years, Dutch insurers received reports of an average 7,800 traffic accidents each Friday, the CVS study said. But the average figure when the 13th fell on a Friday was just 7,500.
There were also fewer incidents of fire and theft, although the average value of losses on Fridays 13th was slightly higher.
Friday the 13th phobia is rooted in western culture. Some people are so paralyzed with fear they simply don’t get out of bed. Others steadfastly refuse to fly on an airplane, buy a house, or act on a hot stock tip.
荷蘭統計學家日前公佈，在很多國家被認爲不吉利的“黑色星期五”其實比普通星期五更安全。
荷蘭保險數據統計中心（CVS）於本週四公佈的一項研究顯示，在“黑色星期五”發生的事故及火災、盜竊報告起數均少於其它星期五。
該機構的統計學家阿萊克斯•霍恩在接受Verzekerd保險雜誌的採訪時說：“我很難相信這是因爲人們在這一天格外小心或者乾脆不出門，但從數據統計看，黑色星期五的交通安全狀況比普通星期五略好。”
該研究稱，在過去兩年中，荷蘭的保險公司平均每週五收到7800起交通事故的報告，但在“黑色星期五”僅爲7500例。
此外，“黑色星期五”的火災和盜竊報告數也較少，不過這一天的商業損失可要比平時略高一些。
對於“黑色星期五”的恐懼深深植根於西方文化中。有些人太害怕了，所以遇到這一天干脆不起牀；有些人則堅決不坐飛機、買房或炒股。
