A recent paper summarizing 14 observational studies on the use and effectiveness of cameras to catch speeders and reduce collisions has created a small flap in the UK. Less than a week after the article was published, 17 rapid responses had been generated online, many critiquing the authors’ conclusions that although existing research shows that speed cameras are effective, “the level of evidence is relatively poor”. Read the article and the responses for yourself. Pilkington P, Kinra S. Effectiveness of speed cameras in preventing road traffic collisions and related casualties: systematic review.

http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/330/7487/331?ehom

A case-control study of firearm storage practices has found that locked or unloaded guns were significantly less likely to be used by children and youth to either shoot themselves or to unintentionally shoot others. Hospital and medical examiner cases were compared with households, identified through a telephone survey, in which there was at least one firearm and children living or visiting. An accompanying editorial places this study in the context of other studies, firearm ownership in the US …