A significant drop in the number of accidents caused by impaired

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A significant drop in the number of accidents caused by impaired driving due to cell phone use is chiefly a result of aggressive public awareness efforts on the part of the government as well as the cell phone industry itself. A new marketing campaign by a major telecommunications firm emphasizes the ways in which a cell phone should and should not be used by drivers. However, some public safety experts are concerned that this will lead drivers to become overconfident in their ability to handle both tasks and will increase the number of accidents.

Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the objections that public safety experts have to the new marketing campaign?

(A) The number of people who use their cell phones while driving has decreased since the marketing campaign began.

(B) The marketing campaign is part of an effort to increase the sales of a new type of phone that was specifically designed to be used without drivers needing to look at or touch the phone at all.

(C) The drop in the number of accidents caused by impaired driving due to cell phone use is especially large among younger drivers.

(D) Studies conducted by public safety experts have shown that most people are not good judges of how well they can handle cell phone use while driving.

(E) Initial reports have shown that most people who have been exposed to the marketing campaign have modified their driving habits in beneficial ways.

mbaapplicant2019 · Answer

IMO, the answer is E. If people use cellphone in a good way, the number of accidents will not increase

PP777 · Answer

Correct Answer: E
Premise:
1.A significant drop in the number of accidents caused by impaired driving due to cell phone use is chiefly a result of aggressive public awareness efforts on the part of the government as well as the cell phone industry itself
2. A new marketing campaign by a major telecommunications firm emphasizes the ways in which a cell phone should and should not be used by drivers
Conclusion:
 some public safety experts are concerned that this will lead drivers to become overconfident in their ability to handle both tasks and will increase the number of accidents.

A.The number of people who use their cell phones while driving has decreased since the marketing campaign began. out

B. The marketing campaign is part of an effort to increase the sales of a new type of phone that was specifically designed to be used without drivers needing to look at or touch the phone at all.
Not concerned about the objective of the marketing campaign

C. The drop in the number of accidents caused by impaired driving due to cell phone use is especially large among younger drivers.
 Concerned about all drivers not just young drivers

D. Studies conducted by public safety experts have shown that most people are not good judges of how well they can handle cell phone use while driving. 
Not concerned about how well people judge their driving skills

E. Initial reports have shown that most people who have been exposed to the marketing campaign have modified their driving habits in beneficial ways. Correct Answer

rahulsehgal · Answer

In my opinion, the correct answer is D.

We need to find an answer choice that WEAKENS the thought process of the public safety experts which feel that a marketing campaign will NOT do much to bring reduction in the number of accidents. In other words, we need to find an answer choice that does talk another reason that can bring an increase in the number of accidents other than the marketing campaign.

My thought process for every answer choice is below -

A significant drop in the number of accidents caused by impaired driving due to cell phone use is chiefly a result of aggressive public awareness efforts on the part of the government as well as the cell phone industry itself. A new marketing campaign by a major telecommunications firm emphasizes the ways in which a cell phone should and should not be used by drivers. However, some public safety experts are concerned that this will lead drivers to become overconfident in their ability to handle both tasks and will increase the number of accidents.

Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the objections that public safety experts have to the new marketing campaign?

A. The number of people who use their cell phones while driving has decreased since the marketing campaign began. -  This answer choice talks about the benefits of marketing campaign and does NOT help us with any new information that can weaken the thought process of the public safety experts.

B. The marketing campaign is part of an effort to increase the sales of a new type of phone that was specifically designed to be used without drivers needing to look at or touch the phone at all. -  This choice, if true, in some sense does, strengthen the belief of some public safety experts by letting the drivers use the phone without much intervention.

C. The drop in the number of accidents caused by impaired driving due to cell phone use is especially large among younger drivers. -  the prompt does not refer to any specific category of population (younger drivers). This choice can be eliminated.

D. Studies conducted by public safety experts have shown that most people are not good judges of how well they can handle cell phone use while driving. -  Correct answer choice. This, if true, does signify that there is ANOTHER reason that still can result in the increase of accidents other than the campaign .

E. Initial reports have shown that most people who have been exposed to the marketing campaign have modified their driving habits in beneficial ways. -  This answer choice does talks about the benefits of the marketing campaign - a part of which is already provided in the argument about reduction in the number of accidents as a result of awareness drives. At the very least, this answer choice, may strengthen the experts belief.

I will be more than happy to learn about the mistakes (if any) in my reasoning. Thank you!

RohitGoyal1123 · Answer

A. The number of people who use their cell phones while driving has decreased since the marketing campaign began. :  Decreased by how much? can be by 1 driver.. Hence out.

B. The marketing campaign is part of an effort to increase the sales of a new type of phone that was specifically designed to be used without drivers needing to look at or touch the phone at all.  Irrelevant, as it is no where near about the ability of drivers.

C. The drop in the number of accidents caused by impaired driving due to cell phone use is especially large among younger drivers.  Again out, as no comparison is provided between young and old drivers.

D. Studies conducted by public safety experts have shown that most people are not good judges of how well they can handle cell phone use while driving.  This actually strengthens the argument, so out.

E. Initial reports have shown that most people who have been exposed to the marketing campaign have modified their driving habits in beneficial ways.  This is in direct contradiction to the argument presented by the safety experts.

Hence  E .

Sumusumu · Answer

D , because the conclusion is based on the over confidence the drivers attain about theri multi tasking ability ,so when people are not capable of judging how they can use the phone while driving..then how can they become overconfident about that ...

So it's D

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using GMAT Club Forum mobile app

So it's D

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using  GMAT Club Forum mobile app

PP777 · Answer

D). Studies conducted by public safety experts have shown that most people are not good judges of how well they can handle cell phone use while driving.

If people are not good judges, then chances are some might consider themselves over-confident and some might under-confident. It's infact strengthening the public expert's concern.

Public experts are concerned that these ad campaigns will make drivers overconfident in handling both tasks.
And if we show that drivers are getting benefitted by these ad campaigns, then this will weaken the public experts concern. This is exactly what option E is doing.

spetznaz · Answer

I would go for option E. My take :

This is a weaken type question. We need to weaken the stand taken by public safety officials.

Premise -

a) There has been a drop in the accident rate caused by use of mobile phones while driving. 
b) This drop has been attributed to a campaign by govt & mobile companies.
c) One such campaign teaches its users to use mobile phone while driving

Conclusion :

Safety experts are opposed to this plan as they think the plan will make drivers overconfident.

Pre-think/Anticipate :

There is a causality involved here. Overconfidence leads to failure of the plan. We need to weaken this linkage. How will we do it ? Alternate cause ? Maybe some other reason behind the failure of the plan ?

Another way to weaken could be to break the linkage itself. What if people mended their ways ? What if they drove more cautiously after the campaign thereby reducing chances of an accident ?

POE :

Option A - How much has the number decreased ? What if the reduction is marginal ? Wrong
Option B - The driver could still be overconfident. doesn't weaken the linkage. Wrong
Option C - We are not interested in young vs old. Wrong 
Option D - The drivers are not confident. So once they attend the program they will become overconfident. This strengthens the link , not weaken it. 
Option E - Correct. This is inline with pre-thinking point 2.

E it is !!

seed · Answer

Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the objections that public safety experts have to the new marketing campaign?

Question Type :  Weaken.

Whats the objection of public safety experts :   "public safety experts are concerned that this will lead drivers to become overconfident in their ability to handle both tasks and will increase the number of accidents."

Prethinking :  Our objective is to hurt this objection means look for an alternative which makes the driver aware (not overconfident) of the risks of using cell phones while driving and how he/she takes precaution.

(A) The number of people who use their cell phones while driving has decreased since the marketing campaign began.  - Incorrect. It's just a fact and doesn't hurt the objection stated above.

(B) The marketing campaign is part of an effort to increase the sales of a new type of phone that was specifically designed to be used without drivers needing to look at or touch the phone at all.  - Incorrect. Even if its true it doesn't hurt the objection stated above.

(C) The drop in the number of accidents caused by impaired driving due to cell phone use is especially large among younger drivers.  - Incorrect. Even if its true it doesn't hurt the objection stated above. It actually supports the objection, Young drivers are overconfident which lead to reckless driving accidents

(D) Studies conducted by public safety experts have shown that most people are not good judges of how well they can handle cell phone use while driving.  - Incorrect. Its just a fact and doesn't hurt the objection stated above.

(E) Initial reports have shown that most people who have been exposed to the marketing campaign have modified their driving habits in beneficial ways.  - Correct. As expected the drivers become aware of the risks of using cell phones while driving. This also implies they didn't become overconfident but took precautions and changed their driving habits in beneficial ways.

Answer: (E).

Sangam1994 · Answer

Let us understand the passage first.

Line1 -> Number of accidents dropped due to bad driving decreases because of public awareness by govt and mobile company

Line 2-> New Marketing campaign by a company emphasize how to use and how not to use cell phone by drivers

Line 3-> Some experts are telling that it will make drivers overconfident which can further lead to accidents

We need to weaken this conclusion.

Pre-think

What if in this market campaign, drivers are not only taught but also they are asked to implement this in their driving skill as well by giving proper practical knowledge of the same

Options

A. Number of people -> OFC
B. New Phone if touched again distract drivers
C. Younger or Adult drivers not in context of passage
D. Good judgment will strenghten
E. In-Line with pre-thinking

archie1stnorth · Answer

Let's try to apply logic to solve this question and find out the key reasoning ideas.
Basically here we need look at the safety experts objections and try to predict, how we can weaken it:

However, some public safety experts are concerned that this will lead drivers to become   overconfident   in their ability to handle both tasks and will   increase the number of accidents  .

1)Overconfidence- the feeling that you can do something, but in fact you can not. So we can try to find an answer, which states that the skills of the drivers will be in fact improved.
2)Increase the number of accidents- we can look for the claims that contradict this forecast.

Working through the answers:

(A) The number of people who use their cell phones while driving has decreased since the marketing campaign began.- Even though the decreased number of drivers using their cellphones while driving could decrease the number of the accidents, but there is no any connection with the experts reasoning about the skills and overconfidence. Let's try to find a better option, since this answer probably is a well disguised trap.

(B) The marketing campaign is part of an effort to increase the sales of a new type of phone that was specifically designed to be used without drivers needing to look at or touch the phone at all.- this option is a classic example of out of scope answer choice. Nothing what we are looking for.

(C) The drop in the number of accidents caused by impaired driving due to cell phone use is especially large among younger drivers.- What the information about young drivers could be useful for??? Safely through this option into OUT OF SCOPE basket.

(D) Studies conducted by public safety experts have shown that most people are not good judges of how well they can handle cell phone use while driving. -
Please, welcome another trap- the opposite meaning! Actually this option strengthen the position of the experts, that driver are not good enough judges of their ability to drive, so they easily can become overconfident about their driving skills. Cross out this option and move forward.

(E) Initial reports have shown that most people who have been exposed to the marketing campaign have modified their driving habits in beneficial ways.- Hey, this is something interesting. Here we can see, that drivers actually MODIFIED their driving habits ( point against overconfidence ) in a BENEFICIAL ways ( point against increse of the accidents ). Is seems that it was worth to go all way down to answer E, since it is the best candidate for the correct answer.

Answer (E)

souvik101990 · Answer

Congrats PP777 - I have activated your GMAT Club tests

ENEM · Answer

premise: efforts by govt and telecoms to spread awareness has resulted in a drop in accidents caused because of telephone use while driving
minor premise: a marketing campaign by a telecom emphasizes on how cellphones should and shouldn't be used...

concl: public safety officers think that having the knowledge mentioned in minor premise will cause drivers to become overconfident and thus lead to an increase in accidents...

problem with the argument: public safety officers assume that being overconfident will lead to an increase in accident without offering any proof...they're also assuming that having knowledge on a specific field makes drivers overconfident

so our answer choice should show that the public safety officers flawed reasoning...

A. suppose after the campaign, there are 100 people who use their cellphones while driving...and 50 of those people had accidents because of cellphone usage while driving
but as per option A, the number of people using cellphones while driving has reduced, let's say it's 99...but the number of accidents taking place among these 99 because of cellphone use while driving is 60, so this strengthens the argument. hence eliminated

B. we're not concerned with sales, hence eliminated

C. doesn't give complete info, hence eliminated

E. after viewing the campaign most people have changed their driving habits in beneficial ways...beneficial to what? more fuel efficient driving, less pollution is being caused by them...?

D. if drivers are bad judges of how good or bad they are, then there are two possibilities...they undermine their knowledge on the subject...so that may cause them to be more careful thus they're not overconfident...or they overestimate their knowledge(overconfident)

hence I picked D

push12345 · Answer

B-irrelevant
C- no distinction in argument be young a d old driver.also being young and old doesn't address concern
D-instead of weakening it support objections
A- though Number of ppl use phone reduced during driving,we are not sure whether the same thing reduces accidents or not
So not addressing concern-out

E-clearly states that it impacted ppl in beneficial ways means accidents are reduced so its best choice

Posted from my mobile device

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A significant drop in the number of accidents caused by impaired

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