Question:medium
Cars are safer than planes. Fifty percent of plane accidents result in death, while only one percent of car accidents result in death. Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the argument above?
Cars are safer than planes. Fifty percent of plane accidents result in death, while only one percent of car accidents result in death. Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the argument above?
Show Hint
A death rate given as a percentage can hide the real death count if the number of accidents in each group is very different.
Updated On: Jul 14, 2026
- Planes are inspected more often than cars.
- The number of car accidents is several hundred thousand times higher than the number of plane accidents.
- Pilots never fly under the influence of alcohol, while car drivers often do.
- Plane accidents are usually the fault of air traffic controllers, not pilots.
Show Solution
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
An argument built only on percentages can hide the real picture if the base numbers are very different. Look at each option to see whether it exposes that gap.
- Option A: Inspection frequency might explain why accidents happen, but it says nothing about how many people die once an accident occurs, so it does not touch the death comparison.
- Option B: If car accidents massively outnumber plane accidents, then even a tiny death percentage for cars can add up to more actual deaths than a large death percentage for the much rarer plane accidents. This directly challenges the idea that a lower percentage means a safer mode of transport overall.
- Option C: This explains a possible cause of plane safety, but pilot sobriety does not change the death percentages given, so the numerical argument stays intact.
- Option D: Blaming air traffic controllers instead of pilots does not change how many people die in plane accidents, so this does not weaken the stated percentages either.
Only option B gives new information, the huge gap in accident counts, that undercuts the original percentage-based conclusion.
Let's summarize:
- A percentage comparison can mislead when the two groups being compared are very different in size.
- Option B supplies exactly that missing context, which is why it weakens the argument the most.
Final answer: $\boxed{\text{Option B}}$
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