Question

There is a positive correlation between the number of people that purchase snow blowers in a given year and the number of people who fall on the ice clearing snow from their sidewalks in that year. Give three possible explanations for what might be causing the relation between these variables. Be sure your explanations involve three different directions of causation.

Answer 1

Possible explanation one would be people are outdoors more due to the use of the snow blower and are thus more susceptible to falling as a result if the increased time spent near or on the ice. Possible explanation two is the snow that's removed from their sidewalk can no longer provide a traction surface between the people clearing the snow and the ice that lies beneath the snow. And possible explanation number three would be that the snow blowing machine, being a new piece of equipment to people, requires a level of agility to operate and inexperienced operators lack the agility to use the piece of equipment.