The following appeared in a letter to the editor of the Balmer Island Gazette."The population on Balmer Island doubles during the summer months. During the summer, then, the town council of Balmer Island should decrease the maximum number of moped rentals

In a letter to the editor of the Balmer Island Gazette author recommends that the town council of Balmer Island should enforce limits on mopeds rentals in order to diminish the number of summertime accidents between mopeds and pedestrians. Based on unfounded assumptions and dubious evidence, additional evaluation of existing conditions on Balmer Island is indispensable in order for the argument to be logically convincing.

First and foremost, the author mentions that the population on Balmer Island doubles during the summer months, but we do not know if the number of accidents also doubles. Supposing that the number of accidents is constant throughout the year, and the number of people on Balmer Island is twice as big, one can conclude that the number of accidents per person actually diminished during the summer. Information on the number of accidents involving mopeds and pedestrians within the whole year period would be additional evidence supporting authors recommendation.

Secondly, authors boldly assumed that only mopeds are responsible for accidents with pedestrians. Having the number of people doubled, is the infrastructure of the island adequately prepared to accommodate so many people? Is there appropriate amount of crosswalks on the streets? Is the traffic WALK signal of appropriate length for increased number of pedestrians to cross the street safely? Negative answers for this questions would most probably indicate that the accident problem on this island is more compounded and requires additional steps to be taken in order to improve pedestrians' safety.

Furthermore, author of this proposition support his argument with the claim that the neighboring island of Torseau town council enforced similar limits on moped rentals, decreasing the number of accidents by 50 percent. Author assumed that the population of this two islands is similar. If the populations are different, and providing that all other assumptions are true, recalculation of number of moped rentals allowed per capita will indicate actual decrease of mopeds required to see a 50 percent reduction in moped accidents.

To summarize, author of the letter fails to substantiate the argument that reduction of mopeds rented will diminish the number of moped-pedestrian accidents during the summer months. Author's recommendation requires more evidence and supporting information in order for the town council to take further action.