The author states that the town of Balmer Island plans to limit the number of mopeds rented by each of the island’s six moped rental companies from 50 per day to 30 per day during the summer season. He goes on to say that the island of Torseau enforced similar limits on moped rentals and saw a 50% reduction in moped accidents. While the initial prediction is an interesting one, it begs the question of how limiting the moped rentals will affect the number of accidents on Balmer Island. Therefore, before the town makes any rash decisions, especially ones that will have far-reaching consequences, it is first necessary to consider whether or not the town is justified in restricting the number of mopeds rented.

The town of Balmer Island has a population of 19,000, as of 2017. Assuming that 50% of those people are over 18 years old and are of legal age to legally operate a moped, the population of moped drivers could be as high as 9,250. If, as the author suggests, the town intends to keep 30 mopeds rented per day, the maximum daily number of mopeds on the island cannot exceed 3,750. Factoring in the population of residents over the age of 18 who do not own mopeds, the population of moped drivers cannot exceed 3,750. Thus, the town cannot reduce the number of mopeds rented by more than 6% without severely reducing the number of drivers on the island. This limitation in the number of mopeds is likely to drive more people to rent mopeds, thus exacerbating the problem.

The town of Balmer Island also plans to enact a ban on the use of safety helmets by moped users. While the author does not explicitly state the reason for not considering helmets in the article, one possible reason may be that helmets are expensive. Helmets can cost between $25 and $50, depending on the style and size. Whether a helmet is worn or not, helmets greatly reduce the likelihood of a moped rider getting injured. Therefore, it should be a legal requirement for all moped riders to wear helmets. By eliminating helmets, the town is reducing the number of moped riders who can legally operate a moped. If, as the author suggests, the helmet restriction results in only a 50% reduction in accidents, then the helmet restriction is less effective than the author suggests.

Furthermore, the author suggests that limiting the number of mopeds rented will reduce the number of accidents. This may be true, but it is difficult to ascertain if it is due to the number of mopeds rented or to the other factors he does not mention. For instance, does the town plan to limit the number of mopeds rented by a specific company, or simply limit the number of mopeds rented by the island? Considering that only six companies operate on the island, it is unlikely that the company for which a person has a driver’s license will restrict the number of mopeds rented by that company. If the town instead plans to restrict the total number of mopeds that are rented, then the town is reducing the number of mopeds available to drivers and so the number of accidents. Determining the degree to which limiting the number of mopeds rented reduces the number of accidents would require considering other factors that could contribute to the accidents, such as the speed limit. While the author implies that the helmets are expensive, perhaps helmets are not affordable to a large portion of the population, or they are sold in a limited quantity, thereby limiting their availability. Unless the town plans to restrict all moped riders from wearing helmets, the helmets may not be necessary.

Finally, the author’s prediction that putting these limits into effect on Balmer Island will result in the same reduction in moped accidents assumes that the population of moped riders on Balmer Island is the same as the population of moped riders on Torseau. However, the population of Torseau is approximately 3,400, while the population of Balmer Island is approximately 19,000. Assuming that the population of moped riders on Balmer Island is approximately 9,250, which is a reasonable assumption, then the population of moped drivers on Balmer Island will be 32,750, which is 75% larger than the population of moped drivers on Torseau. Thus, while the population of moped riders may be roughly the same on Balmer Island and on Torseau, the population of moped drivers on Balmer Island will be much larger. Therefore, even if the population of moped riders on Torseau is 50% smaller than the population of moped riders on Balmer Island, the number of moped drivers on Torseau is still large enough to reduce moped accidents by 50%.

Therefore, the town is not justified in enacting these restrictions. Instead, the town should enact stricter laws for the operation of mopeds, such as mandatory helmets for all moped riders. Additionally, the town should limit the total number of mopeds rented by each company, rather than limiting the number of mopeds rented by each moped rental company. If the town enacts stricter laws, fewer moped riders are likely to ride without helmets, and the total number of mopeds available will be reduced, thereby reducing the number of accidents.