BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Dole Country

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 113
Joined: Sun May 24, 2009 8:01 am
Thanked: 4 times

Dole Country

by italian7745 » Fri Nov 27, 2009 3:48 am
A recent survey of all auto accident victims in Dole County found that, of the severely injured drivers and front-seat passengers, 80 percent were not wearing seat belts at the time of their accidents. This indicates that, by wearing seat belts, drivers and front-seat passengers can greatly reduce their risk of being severely injured if they are in an auto accident.
The conclusion above is not properly drawn unless which of the following is true?

(A) Of all the drivers and front-seat passengers in the survey, more than 20 percent were wearing seat belts at the time of their accidents.
(B) Considerably more than 20 percent of drivers and front-seat passengers in Dole County always wear seat belts when traveling by car.
(C) More drivers and front-seat passengers in the survey than rear-seat passengers were very severely injured.
(D) More than half of the drivers and front-seat passengers in the survey were not wearing seat belts at the time of their accidents.
(E) Most of the auto accidents reported to police in Dole County do not involve any serious injury.
Top
Source: — Critical Reasoning |
User avatar
Community Manager
Posts: 1537
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2009 6:10 pm
Thanked: 653 times
Followed by:252 members

by papgust » Fri Nov 27, 2009 6:13 am
IMO its D. I'm counting on this choice by eliminating other choices.
italian7745 wrote:A recent survey of all auto accident victims in Dole County found that, of the severely injured drivers and front-seat passengers, 80 percent were not wearing seat belts at the time of their accidents. This indicates that, by wearing seat belts, drivers and front-seat passengers can greatly reduce their risk of being severely injured if they are in an auto accident.
The conclusion above is not properly drawn unless which of the following is true?

(A) Of all the drivers and front-seat passengers in the survey, more than 20 percent were wearing seat belts at the time of their accidents.
-- This doesn't seem to be a necessary assumption. We know that 80% of severely injured drivers and front-seat passengers were not wearing seat-belts. This choice just say that remaining percent of drivers were wearing seat-belts which does not merely give support to the conclusion.
(B) Considerably more than 20 percent of drivers and front-seat passengers in Dole County always wear seat belts when traveling by car.
-- Again the same as A.
(C) More drivers and front-seat passengers in the survey than rear-seat passengers were very severely injured.
-- There is no point in talking about rear-seat passengers. The survey only considers the drivers and front-seat passengers.
(D) More than half of the drivers and front-seat passengers in the survey were not wearing seat belts at the time of their accidents.
-- This choice seems to be ideal. But i'm not able to justify this correct answer.
(E) Most of the auto accidents reported to police in Dole County do not involve any serious injury.
-- This choice is no way in support of the conclusion.
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 527
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2008 9:14 am
Location: Atlanta
Thanked: 17 times

by pandeyvineet24 » Fri Nov 27, 2009 4:35 pm
i think its A.
the first part of the argument explains that 80% drivers and front-seat passengers did not wear seat belts and were injured in the accident. However the conclusion is based on the people wearing seat belts. Assumption is that 20% are not injured because they are wearing seat belts, but this is not stated in the argument. Another reason for 20% to be safe could be the air bags. So i think A fills in the gap correctly.

Please post OA.
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 1161
Joined: Mon May 12, 2008 2:52 am
Location: Sydney
Thanked: 23 times
Followed by:1 members

by mehravikas » Fri Nov 27, 2009 5:45 pm
I was between A and D. Would go with A as it mentions the remaining percentage of the people who wear seat belts.

Please post the OA
Top
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 1302
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 2:13 pm
Location: Toronto
Thanked: 539 times
Followed by:164 members
GMAT Score:800

by Testluv » Fri Nov 27, 2009 7:04 pm
Choice A is correct.
Last edited by Testluv on Fri Nov 27, 2009 9:58 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Kaplan Teacher in Toronto
Top
User avatar
Community Manager
Posts: 1537
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2009 6:10 pm
Thanked: 653 times
Followed by:252 members

by papgust » Fri Nov 27, 2009 7:37 pm
Hi Testluv,

Thanks for responding! I'm still not able to understand why B is correct. Is it because of the phrase "... always wear seat belts when traveling by car" in choice B?

Also, could you please help me understand why D is incorrect?
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 113
Joined: Sun May 24, 2009 8:01 am
Thanked: 4 times

by italian7745 » Fri Nov 27, 2009 9:26 pm
OA IS A
Top
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 1302
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 2:13 pm
Location: Toronto
Thanked: 539 times
Followed by:164 members
GMAT Score:800

by Testluv » Fri Nov 27, 2009 9:55 pm
Yes, indeed the correct answer is choice A, and I was wrong in my first post.

The first sentence reads:

A recent survey of all auto accident victims in Dole County found that, of the severely injured drivers and front-seat passengers, 80 percent were not wearing seat belts at the time of their accidents.

The implication is that some victims were severely injured and other accident victims were injured but not severely.

The conclusion reads:
This indicates that, by wearing seat belts, drivers and front-seat passengers can greatly reduce their risk of being severely injured if they are in an auto accident.

So he is concluding that by wearing a seatbelt your risk of being severly injured from an automobile accident decreases. (not that your risk of being in an accident decreases!)

In order for him to be right that the risk of being severely injured decreases by wearing a seatbelt, there should be MORE non-seatbeltwearers in the severely injured group than there are in the ``regular`injured group. That is the fraction of those not wearing seatbelts should increase with the severity of the injury.

Then, choice A matches this insight.

Unfortunately, I did not give the argument much respect the first time I read it, and I just thought he was arguing that the risk of being involved in an injury-creaing accident in general increases if you are not wearing a seatbelt. Choice B is match for someone who went through the argument too quickly, and arrived at this likely misinterpretation.

To avoid confusion, I will delete my original post, in which I incorrectly stated that choice B was correct.
Last edited by Testluv on Sun Nov 29, 2009 3:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Kaplan Teacher in Toronto
Top
User avatar
Community Manager
Posts: 1537
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2009 6:10 pm
Thanked: 653 times
Followed by:252 members

by papgust » Sun Nov 29, 2009 3:02 am
Thanks Testluv,

I clearly understand now. This is more tougher and trickier than i had actually thought of.
Top
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1