Argument18我的第一篇,小妹比较弱望大虾们关照

jennysongUID: 2756826

18The following appeared in an editorial in a Prunty County newspaper.

"In an attempt to improve highway safety, Prunty County recently lowered its speed limit from 55 miles per hour to 45 on all major county roads. But the 55 mph limit should be restored, because this safety effort has failed. Most drivers are exceeding the new speed limit and the accident rate throughout Prunty County has decreased only slightly. If we want to improve the safety of our roads, we should instead undertake the same kind of road improvement project that Butler County completed five years ago: increasing lane widths and resurfacing rough roads. 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."


The editorial recommends that Prunty County restores its 55 mph limit and undertake the same type of road improvement project that Butler County completed five years ago. To justify the recommendation the author points out that many drivers are exceeding the new speed limit and accident rate has decreased a little. Moreover, the author noted the fact that since Butler County undertook the road improvement project, there were 25 percent fewer reported accidents this past year than there were five years ago. I find this recommendation specious on several grounds.

First of all, the author points out that this safety effort has failed only because most drivers are exceeding the new limit and the accident rate has decreased only slightly. However, the author provides no evidence to show the time period for which the speed limit has been brought into effect. Perhaps the drivers can hardly get used to the new speed limit within only one week. Perhaps some of the drivers come from other towns and are not aware of the new speed limit. Perhaps the accident rate is an aberration. Perhaps after PC lowered its speed limit, more people have moved to the county. There are more automobiles on the road and therefore more car accidents. It is possible that the slight decrease in car accidents is actually a success in the safety effort.

Secondly, the fact that 25% fewer accidents were reported this past year than there were five years ago probably is an aberration. The author provides no evidence to show the accidents rates over the past 4 years. Perhaps there was an increase in the car accidents in Butler County in the past 4 or 3 year. Moreover, it is possible that the road improvement project is not the only factor that can be attributed to the decrease in car accidents. Perhaps the speed limit in BC was even high than 55 mph and then BC lowered its speed limit to 55 mph. It is also very possible that some people has moved out of BC and subsequently less automobiles are on the road. Without ruling these possibilities the author can hardly convince me the accidents decline in BC is only related with the project.

Thirdly, even assume the author’s assertions are true, we can find little support in author’s recommendation to undertaking the same kind of road improvement project. What if the lanes in PC are already wide enough and the roads are smooth? In this case, the road improvement project makes no sense at all to the road safty.

To sum, the recommendation is not well supported. To bolster it the author must provide specific evidence to show how long the new speed limit has been brought into effect and demographic of population during that period. To better assess the strength of the recommendation I would need more information on PC’s road conditions in order to see whether a road improvement project is necessary. It would also be helpful if we could know the specific true reasons why the accidents in BC has decreased.

huohuo0101UID: 2760840

作者用了很多perhaps 和point out 句式有点单一的说，读起来不顺。 我也是新手，相互切磋