Most people erroneously believe that airplanes are dangerous modes of

Question

Most people erroneously believe that airplanes are dangerous modes of transport. Statistics clearly reveal that more people are killed every year in road accidents than in air crashes. So travelling by airplanes is in fact safer than travelling by a car or a bus.

Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the above explanation?

(A) Airlines across the globe spend significant amounts of money every year on adding new safety features to their airplanes

(B) There is no country in the world in which the number of people killed in air crashes exceeds the number of people killed in road accidents

(C) In a recently conducted survey by an independent agency, a majority of the respondents stated that they felt safer while travelling by air than while travelling by road

(D) The number of people who travel by airplanes every year is roughly equal to the number of people who travel by road.

(E) The technology used in modern aircrafts is much more sophisticated than that used in most forms of road transport.

KarishmaB · Accepted Answer

More people are killed every year in road accidents than in air crashes.
So, airplanes are safer than car or bus.

We are looking for support for our conclusion (which is airplanes are safer than car or bus)
The first thing that comes to mind with the given premise is that what if very few travel by airplanes and that is why the number of deaths is lower.

Say, 10 people are killed every year in airplane accidents but 20 are killed on road. But if 100 people travel by airplanes and 1000 people travel by road, then it doesn't make sense that airplanes are safer. Out of 100, 10% are getting killed in airplanes while out of 1000, only 2% are getting killed on road. 
Hence the total number of people travelling by plane and by road are important figures.

(A) Airlines across the globe spend significant amounts of money every year on adding new 
safety features to their airplanes

Doesn't tell us how airplanes are safer than cars. Just says that airplane companies are trying to make planes safer.

(B) There is no country in the world in which the number of people killed in air crashes exceeds 
the number of people killed in road accidents

We already know that more people are killed on the road. This doesn't add much weight to our argument.

(C) In a recently conducted survey by an independent agency, a majority of the respondents 
stated that they felt safer while travelling by air than while travelling by road

How the people feel is irrelevant. We are dealing with actual numbers for which is a safer mode of transport.

(D) The number of people who travel by airplanes every year is roughly equal to the number of 
people who travel by road.

This is what we are looking for - the actual numbers. Number of people who travel by airplanes is about the same as the number of people who travel by road. Hence if fewer people are killed while travelling by air, it sure means that airplanes are safer.

(E) The technology used in modern aircrafts is much more sophisticated than that used in most 
forms of road transport.

How modern technology compares to older, we can't say. On one hand, it could make everything more convenient, on the other it could make everything more complex. Usually, modern technology is assumed to be safer but the argument gives no such indication.

Answer (D)

nt2010 · Answer

IMO answer is D.

The answer that validates the argument (statistics) would support the conclusion. Only D clearly indicates that the comparison is appropriate in terms of numbers.

pqhai · Answer

Number problem: IMO, D is correct.

Premise: more people are killed every year in road accidents than in air crashes
Conclusion: airplanes is in fact safer than travelling by a car or a bus
Assumption: the number of people who travel by airplanes is not less than those travel by bus.

(A) Airlines across the globe spend significant  amounts of mone y every year on adding new safety features to their airplanes 
 Wrong. Out of scope.

(B) There is no country in the world in which the number of  people killed  in air crashes exceeds the number of people killed in road accidents 
 Wrong.  (Shell game) . B only talks about the number of people killed in air / road.
 
(C) In a recently conducted survey by an independent agency, a majority of the respondents stated that they  felt safer  while travelling by air than while travelling by road 
 Wrong. "felt safer" does not say anything about the number of people.
 
(D) The number of people who travel by airplanes every year is roughly equal to the number of people who travel by road. 
  Correct.  
 
(E)  The technology  used in modern aircrafts is much more sophisticated than that used in most forms of road transport.
 Wrong. Out of scope.

neha24 · Answer

my pick will be D  
we need to make the number of people traveling in both the mode of travel same before arriving at any conclusion

KanishkM · Answer

Most people erroneously believe that airplanes are dangerous modes of transport. Statistics clearly reveal that more people are killed every year in road accidents than in air crashes. So travelling by airplanes is in fact safer than travelling by a car or a bus.

Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the above explanation?

We have to strengthen the inline claim 
So travelling by airplanes is in fact safer than travelling by a car or a bus

(A) Airlines across the globe spend significant amounts of money every year on adding new safety features to their airplanes 
Spending money on safety features cannot strengthen the claim, what if cars also do the same then? - Irrelevant

(B) There is no country in the world in which the number of people killed in air crashes exceeds the number of people killed in road accidents - Scope is too broad

(C) In a recently conducted survey by an independent agency, a majority of the respondents stated that they felt safer while travelling by air than while travelling by road 
-> Parameters of the study are not mentioned, Out

(D) The number of people who travel by airplanes every year is roughly equal to the number of people who travel by road. 
If the numbers are equal and stastics say that more people are killed in road accidents(we cannot agrue on the fact) we can mark this answer option

(E) The technology used in modern aircrafts is much more sophisticated than that used in most forms of road transport.
Technology is irrelevant

D

Posted from my mobile device

Bunuel · Answer

Official Explanation

Answer: D

The argument states that in absolute terms, more people are killed in road accidents every year than in airplane crashes. So the argument concludes that traveling by air is safer than traveling by road. However this can only be the case if the number of people traveling by airplanes were the same as the number of people traveling by road. D states this and is the correct answer

For example say 500 people die in plane crashes every year and 10000 people in road accidents. But what if only 1000 people travel by planes every year while 100000 travel by road. Then 50% of the people traveling by air die every year as against 10% of those traveling by road.

(A) Just because airlines spend a certain amount of money on safety does not necessarily mean that they are safer than road transport.

(B) This may very well be true but can only be judged in light of how many people travel by airlines and by road every year.

(C) The perception of travelers is extra information. We need to strengthen the connection between the evidence provided in the argument and its conclusion.

(D) The correct answer.

(E) Sophisticated technology does not necessarily make airplanes safer than road transport.

Most people erroneously believe that airplanes are dangerous modes of

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Most people erroneously believe that airplanes are dangerous modes of

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