The AA says its patrols will be on heightened alert as new cars with the latest 13 number plates begin to roll off the UK’s forecourts after midnight on Thursday, to ensure it is not unlucky 13 for new owners.
Traditionally, some new car owners have to call out the AA on the first day, mainly because they haven’t familiarised themselves with new technologies and features on the cars.
To minimise this risk the AA is reminding motorists to ensure the dealer familiarises them with all of a car’s systems and how to deal with a puncture, and to study the manual when they get home.
Some motorists have expressed worries about the 13 number plates with an AA survey finding a superstitious one in 10 strongly or somewhat believe that buying a new car with an ‘unlucky’ 13 is best avoided. However, 66% wouldn’t shy away from having plates like MY13 HEX and SP13 OOK.
Those most nervous about driving around on a 13 plate are likely to be older drivers (10%-11%) and blue collar workers.
The biggest hang-up over the 13 plate comes with trying to sell on the car - 4% of the 20,029 survey respondents firmly believe and 25% somewhat believe that this is where the 13-plate hoodoo is most likely to strike.
“Number plate superstition sounds silly but once they encounter a series of mishaps, new owners may begin to wonder. The flip side is that they drive more carefully and look after the car better,” says Edmund King, the AA’s president.
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