Bunuel wrote:
Enforcement of local speed limits through police monitoring has proven unsuccessful in the town of Ardane. In many nearby towns, speed humps (raised areas of pavement placed across residential streets, about 300 feet apart) have reduced traffic speeds on residential streets by 20 to 25 percent. In order to reduce traffic speed and thereby enhance safety in residential neighborhoods, Ardane's transportation commission plans to install multiple speed humps in those neighborhoods.
Which of the following, if true, identifies a potentially serious drawback to the plan for installing speed humps in Ardane?
A. On residential streets without speed humps, many vehicles travel at speeds more than 25 percent above the posted speed limit.
B. Because of their high weight, emergency vehicles such as fire trucks and ambulances must slow almost to a stop at speed humps.
C. The residential speed limit in Ardane is higher than that of the nearby towns where speed humps were installed.
D. Motorists who are not familiar with the streets in Ardane's residential districts would be likely to encounter the speed humps unawares unless warned by signs and painted indicators.
E. Bicyclists generally prefer that speed humps be constructed so as to leave a space on the side of the road where bicycles can travel without going over the humps.
NEW question from GMAT® Official Guide 2019
(CR04925)
Local speed limits are not being enforced.
In nearby towns, speed humps have reduced traffic speeds by 20-25%.
Plan: Ardane plans to install speed humps in residential neighbourhoods.
Aim: To reduce traffic speed and thereby enhance safety in residential neighbourhoods
Which of the following, if true, identifies a potentially serious drawback to the plan?
A. On residential streets without speed humps, many vehicles travel at speeds more than 25 percent above the posted speed limit.
This point is in favour of installing speed humps.
B. Because of their high weight, emergency vehicles such as fire trucks and ambulances must slow almost to a stop at speed humps.
This identifies a serious drawback to the plan and needs to be addressed. The aim is to improve the safety of residents. If emergency response vehicles will face a problem because of speed humps, it is a potential drawback. Other towns have speed humps does not mean that this was not identified and addressed by them (e.g. making side roads for emergency vehicles etc). Also, perhaps other towns had other aims. Safety may not have been priority - we don't know. The point is - just because something exists somewhere else and does what it is supposed to, doesn't mean it does not come with its own problems which need to be mitigated.
Note that we are looking for an option that identifies a serious drawback. The plan may reduce speed limit in the area but what problem does it come with?
Pay special attention to the way your question stem is worded.
C. The residential speed limit in Ardane is higher than that of the nearby towns where speed humps were installed.
Irrelevant.
D. Motorists who are not familiar with the streets in Ardane's residential districts would be likely to encounter the speed humps unawares unless warned by signs and painted indicators.
We don't know whether speed humps are made with signs and indicators or without. So we don't have enough information to say whether this is a potential drawback.
E. Bicyclists generally prefer that speed humps be constructed so as to leave a space on the side of the road where bicycles can travel without going over the humps.
What bicyclists prefer is irrelevant.
Answer (B)
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