Critical Reasoning

State X spends more money on highway safety and maintenance during the summer months when traffic is heaviest and less during the winter months when traffic is lightest. Therefore, the average number of highway accidents per car should be lower during summer months than during the winter when less money is available for safety and maintenance.

Which of the following, if true, casts the most serious doubt on the conclusion drawn above?


(A) The price of gas rises during the heaviest traffic season.
(B) Traffic congestion significantly increases the likelihood of accidents resulting from road rage or inattention.
(C) Routine road maintenance projects completed during the summer months make roads and highways safer during rain and snow storms year around.
(D) Insurance companies reduce auto insurance premiums if drivers successfully pass safety training courses.
(E) Highway lane lines are repainted every year in state X resulting in safer nighttime driving conditions year around.

why E i chose B and i think " nighttime driving consition" are out of scope

I agree that E is irrelevant. I believe the answer is C: if the money spent during the summer actually helps reduce accidents in the winter, then the lower spending in the winter does not mean that there will be more accidents due to lack of funds. C is the best answer choice as it attacks the argument's assumption that spending money is only relevant WHEN the money is spent, and carries no effect outside of the time frame it is spent in.

B is a possible option, as it implies a problem inherent in the summer months and challenges the conclusion that the summer months will have a lower average number of highway accidents, but requires the additional assumption that the heavy traffic in summer is enough to cause traffic congestion, and in any case is less preferable than C because it does not directly address the assumption of the argument.

+1 for C
what's the source?

Count me in for C.

The argument is based on the fact that state X invests more money during summer than winter hence, roads are safe during summer than winter.
Since it is a causal argument, we need to find a statement that breaks this causal relationship.

C mentions that roads are safe year round...removing the relationship between investment in summer than winter. It mentions and alternative reason in that routine maintenance and not more money investment makes the road safe.