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Tools - Math 'Reasoning from Evidence' Traffic Accidents, Example #4 (solution)


Testing a New Deodorant, Example #1 (solution) || Emergency 911!, Example #2 (solution)
Ordering a Cab, Example #3 (solution) || Traffic Accidents, Example #4 (solution)

Malcolm Swan
Mathematics Education
University of Nottingham
Malcolm.Swan@nottingham.ac.uk

Jim Ridgway
School of Education
University of Durham
Jim.Ridgway@durham.ac.uk


The aims of this assessment are to provide the opportunity for you to:
  • use appropriate graphs and/or diagrams to analyze data
  • reason clearly and convincingly.

In this task, you are a Road Safety Advisor for Smallville.

Your task is to produce some suggestions about how road safety in Smallville might be improved.

To help you, below you have a map of Smallville and a database of traffic accidents that took place during the last year. These figures show the time and place of the accident, details of the victim and the type of vehicle that caused the accident. (Times are given as decimals, to make graphing easier).

Your task is to:
  1. Find the trouble spots in the town.
  2. Try to decide why they are trouble spots.
  3. You have $100,000 to spend on improving road safety.

What recommendations do you have?


Here are some things that could be done with costs.

Educational campaign in the schools $4,000
Publicity campaign in the town $10,000
Changing speed limit signs $4,000
Pedestrian crossing $16,000
Traffic Lights $40,000
Footbridge $90,000


Accident Data Sheet
No. Map Time Day Month Casualty Age Person Vehicle
1 D3 08.75 Tues January pedal cyclist 12 boy car
2 H4 09.25 Sat January pedestrian 65 woman motorcycle
3 I9 17.90 Thurs January pedestrian 14 girl bus
4 L7 12.17 Sun January pedestrian 44 man car
5 I5 15.75 Sat February pedal cyclist 16 boy car
6 K4 12.50 Tues February pedestrian 7 girl car
7 H6 20.50 Thurs February passenger 28 man lorry
8 B6 23.17 Sat February passenger 54 man car
9 J3 19.00 Tues March pedal cyclist 16 boy car
10 K5 12.75 Thurs March pedestrian 7 boy car
11 I5 16.00 Wed March driver 56 man bus
12 F4 23.00 Tues March pedal cyclist 38 woman car
13 K7 16.00 Sun March pedestrian 24 woman car
14 I4 14.58 Fri March pedestrian 55 woman bus
15 I8 16.50 Wed April pedestrian 14 boy car
16 G6 23.00 Sat April pedestrian 62 man motorcycle
17 M1 10.75 Mon April passenger 12 boy car
18 K4 12.25 Tues April pedestrian 8 girl car
19 D3 12.50 Fri May pedestrian 14 girl bus
20 A2 18.50 Sat May pedal cyclist 22 woman car
21 D4 08.00 Sat May pedestrian 45 man car
22 L7 16.75 Sun June pedestrian 39 woman car
23 B2 17.17 Wed June driver 58 man car
24 H6 14.00 Tues June pedestrian 72 man bus
25 J4 20.50 Mon July pedal cyclist 18 man bus
26 F4 12.75 Thurs July pedestrian 16 boy car
27 B6 7.75 Fri July passenger 23 woman car
28 H4 15.75 Sat July pedestrian 62 woman car
29 G6 06.83 Mon August passenger 15 boy bus
30 M9 23.83 Sat August motorcycle rider 18 boy lorry
31 K6 10.00 Sun August pedestrian 45 man car
32 E6 12.50 Sat September pedestrian 12 girl lorry
33 K4 12.25 Wed September pedestrian 7 boy car
34 I5 23.75 Sat September pedestrian 46 man car
35 F4 12.83 Mon October passenger 3 girl lorry
36 L9 18.00 Fri October motorcycle rider 19 man tractor
37 K4 12.75 Wed October pedestrian 8 girl bus
38 D6 13.75 Sat October pedal cyclist 13 girl car
39 F7 22.00 Fri November motorcycle rider 19 girl car
40 J7 15.50 Sat November pedestrian 61 man car
41 H1 12.00 Tues November motorcycle rider 21 man tractor
42 G5 21.21 Sat November passenger 38 man car
43 K5 16.00 Wed November pedestrian 9 boy car
44 K5 16.00 Wed November pedestrian 8 boy car
45 B2 21.75 Sat November passenger 23 man car
46 J4 21.75 Wed November pedestrian 23 woman bus
47 B2 23.75 Sun December motorcycle rider 28 man car
48 H9 13.83 Tues December pedestrian 45 woman bus
49 K7 17.00 Sun December pedestrian 52 man car
50 J5 18.00 Fri December passenger 45 woman bus
51 B2 17.17 Mon December passenger 23 man car
52 B2 17.17 Mon December driver 24 man car
53 A6 23.83 Sat December passenger 34 woman motorcycle
54 K5 12.75 Wed December pedestrian 6 girl car
55 E9 10.75 Sat December pedal cyclist 12 boy bus
56 B2 17.08 Fri December driver 48 woman motorcycle
57 B2 17.08 Fri December motorcycle rider 17 boy car
58 K4 12.25 Wed December pedestrian 7 boy car


Map of the Neighborhood
A map of the town showing roads, parks, schools, footpaths, etc.
Click here to open a new window with a larger version of this horizontal map, or here to see a larger version of this map vertically.


Traffic Accidents - Sample Solution

This is a complex problem containing many variables and there is no single correct answer. It is most helpful if the data set is input into a spreadsheet or database so that data may be sorted and graphs may rapidly be drawn. Rather than give a specimen solution, we suggest that you just allow students to play with the data and assess their quality of reasoning.



Testing a New Deodorant, Example #1 (solution) || Emergency 911!, Example #2 (solution)
Ordering a Cab, Example #3 (solution) || Traffic Accidents, Example #4 (solution)


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