The article “Bicyclists and Other Cyclists” (Annals of Emergency Medicine [2010]: 426) reported that in 2008, 716 bicyclists were killed on public roadways in the United States and that the average age of the cyclists killed was 41 years. These figures were based on an analysis of the records of all traffic- related deaths of bicyclists on U. S. public roadways (this information is kept by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).
a. Does the group of 716 bicycle fatalities represent a census or a sample of the bicycle fatalities in 2008?
b. If the population of interest is bicycle traffic fatalities in 2008, is the given average age of 41 years a statistic or a population characteristic?