nightblade354 wrote:
More pedestrian injuries occur at crosswalks marked by both striping on the roadway and flashing lights than occur at crosswalks not so marked. Obviously these so-called safety features are a waste of taxpayer money.
The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism because the argument:
(A) Fails to consider that crosswalks marked by both striping and flashing lights are marked in this way precisely because they are the most dangerous ones
(B) Takes for granted that safety features that fail to reduce the number of injuries are a waste of taxpayer money
(C) Presumes that there are less expensive features that will reduce the number of pedestrian injuries just as effectively as striping and flashing lights
(D) Takes for granted that crosswalks with both striping and flashing lights have no other safety features
(E) Fails to consider that, in accidents involving pedestrians and cars, the injuries to pedestrians are nearly always more serious than the injuries to occupants of cars
Premise:
More pedestrian injuries occur at crosswalks marked by both striping on the roadway and flashing lights than occur at crosswalks not so marked.
Conclusion:
These so-called safety features are a waste of taxpayer money.
One assumption:
higher rate of injury = ineffectiveness of striping and flashing lights
A:
crosswalks marked by both striping and flashing lights are marked in this way precisely because they are the most dangerous ones.Here, the higher rate of injury is linked to the HIGHER LEVEL OF DANGER at the crosswalks, invalidating the assumption above and thus weakening the conclusion that
these so-called safety features are a waste of taxpayer money.
Reasons to eliminate B and D:
B:
safety features that fail to reduce the number of injuriesNowhere is it stated that striping and flashing lights fail to reduce the number of injuries.
D:
crosswalks with both striping and flashing lights have no other safety features The argument is not concerned with other safety features.
It is concerned only with the effectiveness of striping and flashing lights.
_________________
GMAT and GRE Tutor for over 20 years
Recent success stories for my students:admissions into Booth, Kellogg, HBS, Wharton, Tuck, Fuqua, Emory and others.
Available for live sessions in NYC and remotely all over the world
For more information, please email me at GMATGuruNY at gmail