Police departments often try to control traffic speed by placing speed- measuring machines on roads that tell motorists how fast they are driving. Traffic safety experts must determine where machines should be placed. In one recent test, police recorded the average speed clocked by cars driving on one busy street close to an elementary school. For a sample of 25 speeds, it was deter-mined that the average amount over the speed limit for the 25 clocked speeds was 11.6 mph with a standard deviation of 8 mph. The 95% confidence interval estimate for this sample is 8.30 mph to 14.90 mph.
a) What is the margin of error for this problem?
b) The researchers commented that the interval was too wide. Explain specifically what should be done to reduce the margin of error to no more than ± 2 mph.