Arg 13 lower speed limit or improve road condition for safety-o
In an attempt to improve highway safety, Prunty County last year lowered its speed limit from 55 to 45 miles per hour on all county highways. But this effort has failed: the number of accidents has not decreased, and, based on reports by the highway patrol, many drivers are exceeding the speed limit. Prunty County should instead undertake the same kind of road improvement project that Butler County completed five years ago: increasing lane widths, resurfacing rough highways, and improving visibility at dangerous intersections. Today, major Butler County roads still have a 55 mph speed limit, yet there were 25 percent fewer reported accidents in Butler County this past year than there were five years ago.
Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.
G1: In an attempt to improve highway safety, Prunty County last year lowered its speed limit from 55 to 45 miles per hour on all county highways.
C1: But this effort has failed:
G2: the number of accidents has not decreased, and,
G3: based on reports by the highway patrol, many drivers are exceeding the speed limit.
C2: Prunty County should instead undertake the same kind of road improvement project that Butler County completed five years ago: increasing lane widths, resurfacing rough highways, and improving visibility at dangerous intersections.
G4: Today, major Butler County roads still have a 55 mph speed limit, yet there were 25 percent fewer reported accidents in Butler County this past year than there were five years ago.
A1 (G2, C1): The number of accidents are good indicator of success or failure of the measure.
A2 (G3, C1): The reports are reliable and the drivers were not punished.
A3 (C2, G4): The road improvement project is the main reason why fewer accidents were reported.
A4 (C2): The same project is what Prunty County needs to improve highway safety.
the reason why many drivers exceed the speed limit
- whether the drivers are fully informed about the change
- whether the fines and other punishments for speeding were efficient
the reason why Butler County had fewer accidents
- maybe fewer cars were on the road due to the receding economy
- a driver education program has worked
whether the proposed road improvement would reduce the accidents in Prunty
- the road condition in Prunty
- the causes of accidents in Prunty (related to poor road condition or not)