Superstitious about Friday the 13th?

If your vehicle registration needs to be renewed in 2012, and you renew for one year, then you will display the number 13 on your cars tags, according to a news release from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Superstitious? You can’t avoid Friday, April 13 but you can avoid the number 13 on your license plate and save money by renewing your tag for two or three years, the DMV said.

Recently, a customer went into the Roanoke Customer Service Center to exchange her employer’s decals. As his assistant, she had renewed several of his vehicle registrations for one year online. When the year 13 decals were received in the mail, the employer insisted that she exchange the decals by renewing the vehicles for an additional year to avoid 13, according to the DMV.

People who have a true fear associated with the number 13 are called Triskaidekaphobics. Even without the phobia, many people just don’t like the number 13 and would rather avoid it, if possible.