Air Bag Question

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Air Bag Question

by Sanjay2706 » Tue Jun 07, 2011 4:13 am
Hello,
I am not convinced with the answer A.
The question asks for the strongest challenge.
My query is whether A poses the strongest challenge of all the options?
Do explain.

Traffic safety experts predict that the installation of newly designed air bags in all cars in the United States would reduce the average number of fatalities per traffic accident by 30 percent. In order to save lives, the Department of Transportation (DOT) is considering requiring automobile manufacturers to install air bags of this design in all cars produced after 1998.
Which of the following, if true, represents the strongest challenge to the DOT's proposal?
(A) Air bags of the new design are more given to being inadvertently triggered, an occurrence that can sometimes result in fatal traffic accidents.
(B) The DOT is planning to require automobile manufacturers to produce these air bags according to very strict specifications.
(C) After installing air bags in new cars, automobile manufacturers will experience an increase in sales.
(D) The proposed air bag installation program will adversely affect the resale of cars manufactured prior to 1998.
(E) As production costs increase, the profits of many domestic automobile dealers show a marked decrease.

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by Frankenstein » Tue Jun 07, 2011 4:40 am
Hi,
'safety' is the issue here. C,D,E talk about profits. So irrelevant.
B - Strict specification imposed by DOT will not have any impact on the safety issue.
A directly attacks the safety issue by saying that air bags are triggered unknowingly/unintentionally leading to fatal accidents. That means the measure he is taking to prevent fatalities is itself causing the accident. So, this is weakening DOT's proposal.
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by cans » Tue Jun 07, 2011 4:41 am
IMo A
DOT requires all cars produced aft er 1998 to install air bags. (because they reduce fatalities by 30%)
a)air bags can result in fatal traffic accidents. (as opposed to they reduce fatalities by 30%)
correct
b)producing air bags to very strict specifications is not a challenge (because we already have the design)
c) increase in sales is irrelevant (we are talking about traffic accidents)
d)resale is irrelevant
e)profits are irrelevant
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by jainnikhil02 » Tue Jun 07, 2011 4:41 am
IMO A
A) Air bags of the new design are more given to being inadvertently triggered, an occurrence that can sometimes result in fatal traffic accidents. > as DOT is mainly concerned only in the fatal accident.
(B) The DOT is planning to require automobile manufacturers to produce these air bags according to very strict specifications. >> not mentioned any where.
(C) After installing air bags in new cars, automobile manufacturers will experience an increase in sales. >> out of scope
(D) The proposed air bag installation program will adversely affect the resale of cars manufactured prior to 1998. >> not mentioned any where..so we cant predict any thing for that.
(E) As production costs increase, the profits of many domestic automobile dealers show a marked decrease. >> out of scope.

so from the all option available only A gives the biggest challenge to the companies.
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by gauravgundal » Tue Jun 07, 2011 4:45 am
Yup A does challenge the argument.Let see how

Conclusion: The DOT is considering requiring automobile manufacturers to install air bags of this design in all cars so as to Save lives
The main motivate of installing air bags is to save lives.

A. This answer says that inadvertently triggered air bags sometimes result in fatal accident --->So this goes against the plan.But is it too strong? let see .keep this answer choice aside.
B. Strict specifications don't show any challenge ,but this choice may strength the motivate of DOT to save people. B is out.
C. Automobile manufacturers will experience an increase in sales.That's cool ,but does it challenge the proposal....na
D.It says resale of car prior to 1988 is going to affect,but this won't affect DOT's proposal .
E.Profit of many domestic dealers show a marked decrease,but we don't know how much is the manufacturer concerned about the profit? ..no

A is final answer.
strongest challenge among the given options