Also, the level and exact types of dioxins, manufacturing impurities, varied by a factor of 100 in different vendors' Agent Orange compounds. The Army lost track of who was exposed to each vendor's product. Well-meaning people often are among the guiltiest parties here. They try to scare us into driving safely by tallying holiday deaths. Figures placed in context may not sound as impressive but carry more real meaning.
Extrapolation is a similar source of confusion.
Another commonly quoted statistic is that most auto accidents happen within 10 miles of home, on familiar roads. But most driving is done within 10 miles of home. Data enhancement would suggest that the farther away from the registration address you drive, the safer you will be. An article in the Journal of Irreproducible Results thus suggested setting up an agency to register all cars in Antarctica as a way to improve auto safety. In the real world, when extrapolation is justifiable, straight-line or exponentially increasing extrapolation often is not, although most studies assume one or the other.