Seeing that it’s Friday the 13th we thought it would be fun to share these 5 interesting car superstitions that we found.
Whether you believe in car superstitions or not, it’s hard to ignore the ominous feeling of Friday the 13th. People who fear this day suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia.
Friday the 13th frightens people so much that they won’t travel, marry, or even go to work in some extreme cases.
The basic idea of superstitious behaviour is that if anyone’s action leads to a successful outcome, you’re likely to repeat that behaviour. Sometimes this seeps into the most mundane tasks in our daily lives. Even driving.
We’ve compiled 5 popular car superstitions associated with driving. Will you be continuing your superstitious car traditions this Friday the 13th?
Changing Your Oil Every 5000km
Knowing when to change your oil is such a divisive topic. Old school owners (like my ole man) swear by the rule to change the oil every 5000km. No matter what kind of car, he sticks with this rule. And how can I blame him — his cars are somehow in better shape when he gets rid of them than when he drives them off the lot. But it’s been indicated by many experts that every 5000km can be excessive, especially if you own a newer vehicle. It’s not bad for your vehicle, it’s just a waste of time and money. The best advice is to consult your owner’s manual or give us a call and we can advise. Most vehicles go 15,000km before an oil change. Don’t get me wrong, that’s not to say you should ignore checking your oil. And if you drive a lot of Kilometers or more aggressively, then you are putting more stress on your engine and more frequent oil changes may be necessary.
Colour of Your Car and Traffic Tickets
A common misconception is that red cars get more traffic and speeding tickets than any other car colour. People tend to believe that the flashy colour is attention-grabbing but for all the wrong reasons. So would you go so far as to not purchase a red car because of this reputation?! That’s the case for a lot of people but put simply, this is just an urban legend. In fact, the most-ticketed car colour is white. And a lot of the types of vehicles that get ticketed most are surprising too. No matter what the colour of your car, it has nothing to do with the likelihood that you’ll get a speeding fine. So buy that red sports car already!
Tapping the Roof through a Yellow Light
This superstition is a little different for everyone, so I’ll leave it to you to decide why you do it. People typically perform this ritual to help bring good luck, avoid bad luck, or stay safe from an accident. Some people opt to kiss their hands and then proceed to touch the roof. Hey, if it hasn’t failed you yet…
Holding Your Breath Driving by a Cemetery
One superstition I remember growing up was holding your breath while passing graveyards. It’s believed that you may inhale the spirit of a recently deceased individual if you don’t follow suit, which may have some converse relationship with covering your mouth while yawning so that your spirit doesn’t leave your own body. The second idea is that you hold your breath because it’s disrespectful to the dead to breathe while they cannot. With all due respect to the dead, I have to breathe otherwise, we’ll all be lying down in the same place. In fact, some people practice this same superstition through tunnels (don’t know why) and have passed out and crashed from holding their breath too long, so please be careful if you still practice this driving superstition.
Bird Poop Is Good Luck
There is a belief that if a bird defecates on your car, you will receive good luck and riches from heaven. I’m just not so sure that such a gross inconvenience could bring me any sort of good fortune. In fact, in the worst scenario, bird droppings might just ruin your paint job if you don’t act fast and clean it quickly enough. If you find yourself with a car that needs a good cleaning and you are a bit superstitious, get to the store and buy your lottery ticket already, then get to the car wash!
Do you have any superstitions that we missed? More importantly, do they work?! Tell us in the comments section!
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