Don't look now... but it's Friday 13th tomorrow - yet again.

It's the THIRD time this year those of a nervous nature will have been forced to stay in, batten down the hatches, and stay out of harm's way.

After all, an insurance company has found that there are 200 more road accidents on Friday the 13th than on the average day.

And 11 years ago it was on a Friday the 13th that hurricane-force winds wreaked havoc and destruction in the south of the country.

Hollywood also has done nothing for the date's image with a series of blood-curdling films.

Yorkshire folk, though, are made of sterner stuff - and sneer at all the superstitious mumbo-jumbo.

"For some reason it's always a really good day for me," said Laura Oates, 16, a student from Tadcaster. "So it wouldn't stop me from doing anything."

Mark Taylor, 18, from Acklam, said: "It's the same as any other day. If something happens, it happens."

Dot Stockell, from York, said the notorious date held no fear for her. "It certainly wouldn't stop me flying - I've flown abroad on Friday the 13th before. "I don't care what date it is, as long as it's warm where I'm going!"

Her friend, Kath Woodward, was similarly blas about it. "If your time's up, your time's up. Your life is marked out for you, and what has to be will be."

The only person in our Evening Press survey who was worried as Friday approached was Jean Tomaino, from York.

"It's just the thought of it," she said. "Knowing that it's Friday the 13th means that I will start the day in a bad way."

But don't worry about bad things happening tomorrow - after all, most accidents happen on New Year's Day.

Steve Murray, of York, said he was not superstitious at all. "You could go round a ladder to avoid walking under it and be hit by a car," he said.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.