Critical Reasoning

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.

OA E

Source: EMPOWERgmat