Tuesday, May 12, 2009

How not to interpret data

Story in the local papers today:

Naperville ranks second in state DUI arrests

Naperville happens to be the fifth largest city in Illinois. The city with the most DUI arrests (excluding Chicago) is Rockford, which is the third largest city in the state.

Sensing a pattern?

The actual data, available at the web site of the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists, is better, as it ranks the municipalities by arrests per officer. Don't drink and drive in Carol Stream or Barrington.

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