Many critics claim that federally mandated car safety

Many critics claim that federally mandated car safety standards are actually impairing car safety in Country X. These critics note that car manufacturers only have to meet the minimum requirements of the government in order to be viewed as safe by the consuming public. If no standards were set, manufacturers would need to compete on safety in order to have any customers at all.

Which of the following is an assumption made by the critics in the argument above?

A. Large cars, such as trucks and sport utility vehicles, are inherently safer than small cars.
B. A significant proportion of car customers own more than one car.
C. The minimum safety requirements decreed by the government of Country X are considered intolerably unsafe.
D. Other factors in a customer's car purchase decision, such as price and comfort features, are more important than safety concerns.
E. In the absence of safety standards, potential car customers will be able to tell which cars are the most safe.