The city's bike-share program was introduced last spring. Since then, the number of cycling injuries reported at area hospitals has risen by 30 percent. Clearly, the bike-share program has made cycling more dangerous in the city.
The argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it
- Atakes for granted that a rise in the number of reported injuries reflects a higher rate of injury, rather than simply more people cycling.Correct answer
- Bpresumes, without justification, that the bike-share program was the only change to affect cyclists last spring.Incorrect
- Crelies on hospital reports that may fail to count injuries treated elsewhere.
- Dfails to specify precisely what is to count as a “cycling injury.”
- Edraws a conclusion about all cyclists from evidence about only those who were injured.
The argument confuses the number of injuries with the rate of injury. If the bike-share program put far more cyclists on the road, total injuries can rise even if cycling became no more dangerous per rider.