A study of traffic safety shows a correlation of 0.57 between average speed of traffic and number of fatal accidents for a particular stretch of highway. This means that________.
A) drivers should speed up to get through this area as quickly as possible.
B) as speed increases, fatalities decrease.
C) fatalities tend to increase as average speed increases.
D) every 1 mile per hour increase in average speed increases the number of traffic fatalities by .57.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A correlation of 0.57 between average speed of traffic and number of fatal accidents indicates a moderate positive correlation, meaning that fatalities tend to increase as the average speed increases. This does not necessarily mean that increasing speed will always lead to more fatalities, but rather that there is a consistent association between higher speeds and a higher number of fatal accidents. Driving slower and more cautiously may help to reduce the number of fatal accidents on this stretch of highway. Choice A is incorrect because speeding up would likely increase the risk of accidents and fatalities. Choice B is incorrect because the correlation indicates the opposite - as speed increases, fatalities tend to increase. Choice D is incorrect because the correlation does not provide information about the specific increase in fatalities for every mile per hour increase in speed.

A Study of Traffic Safety Shows a Correlation of 0