Post by inuvik on Dec 14, 2006 12:15:30 GMT -5
Saw this on the news this morning--on the lighter side for sure!
Astrological signs and bad driving linked in study
Updated Thu. Dec. 14 2006 7:23 AM ET
Canadian Press
TORONTO -- As if drivers didn't have enough to worry about when shopping for insurance, a new tongue-in-cheek study suggests predicting good or bad driving habits could be as simple as reading one's horoscope.
The study, based on data gathered by Toronto-based InsuranceHotline.com, was supposed to help illustrate the point that insurance companies vary widely in how they determine what premiums to charge.
But website president Lee Romanov got a shock when she noticed that certain astrological signs seemed to encounter an undue amount of traffic trouble.
"I didn't expect anything, but then I saw some signs got an overwhelming amount of tickets and other signs got an overwhelming amount of accidents, while other signs got a combination of both," Romanov said.
Libras, who celebrate their birthdays between Sept. 23-Oct. 22 and are supposed to embody balance, turned out to be the worst drivers, Romanov said.
"That's the sign with the balance, the scales, and they are always looking for harmony, but at 5 o'clock rush hour there is no balance and harmony," she quipped.
"(As a motorist), you have to make snap decisions, and Libras are no good about making snap decisions."
Other signs that appear to struggle on the road include Aquarius and Aries - the sign of the ram.
On the other hand, Leos, who are born between July 23-Aug. 22 and are considered generous, motivated people with a desire to excel, seemed to have the least problems behind the wheel, Romanov said.
Gemini and Cancer also scored well, she added.
Will the insurance industry at large heed Romanov's findings?
Not likely, said Dan Danyluk, chief executive of the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada.
"I think what you want to do as an underwriter is ensure that you don't make decisions based on coincidences, and you are making them to the greatest degree on statistical reality," Danyluk said.
Romanov conceded that she doesn't expect her study to convince the industry to add a whole new bent to the setting of auto insurance rates. But it does illustrate how arbitrary some insurance companies seem to be when setting their rates, she added.
"Half the point of the study was to point out that insurance rates are so vastly different between companies (which are) ignoring astrological signs."
Astrological signs and bad driving linked in study
Updated Thu. Dec. 14 2006 7:23 AM ET
Canadian Press
TORONTO -- As if drivers didn't have enough to worry about when shopping for insurance, a new tongue-in-cheek study suggests predicting good or bad driving habits could be as simple as reading one's horoscope.
The study, based on data gathered by Toronto-based InsuranceHotline.com, was supposed to help illustrate the point that insurance companies vary widely in how they determine what premiums to charge.
But website president Lee Romanov got a shock when she noticed that certain astrological signs seemed to encounter an undue amount of traffic trouble.
"I didn't expect anything, but then I saw some signs got an overwhelming amount of tickets and other signs got an overwhelming amount of accidents, while other signs got a combination of both," Romanov said.
Libras, who celebrate their birthdays between Sept. 23-Oct. 22 and are supposed to embody balance, turned out to be the worst drivers, Romanov said.
"That's the sign with the balance, the scales, and they are always looking for harmony, but at 5 o'clock rush hour there is no balance and harmony," she quipped.
"(As a motorist), you have to make snap decisions, and Libras are no good about making snap decisions."
Other signs that appear to struggle on the road include Aquarius and Aries - the sign of the ram.
On the other hand, Leos, who are born between July 23-Aug. 22 and are considered generous, motivated people with a desire to excel, seemed to have the least problems behind the wheel, Romanov said.
Gemini and Cancer also scored well, she added.
Will the insurance industry at large heed Romanov's findings?
Not likely, said Dan Danyluk, chief executive of the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada.
"I think what you want to do as an underwriter is ensure that you don't make decisions based on coincidences, and you are making them to the greatest degree on statistical reality," Danyluk said.
Romanov conceded that she doesn't expect her study to convince the industry to add a whole new bent to the setting of auto insurance rates. But it does illustrate how arbitrary some insurance companies seem to be when setting their rates, she added.
"Half the point of the study was to point out that insurance rates are so vastly different between companies (which are) ignoring astrological signs."
