Early data on seat-belt use showed that seat-belt wearers were less likely to be killed in road-accidents. Hence, it was initially believed that wearing a seat-belt increased survival chances in an accident. But what the analysts had failed to see was, that cautious drivers were more likely to wear the belts and were also less likely to cause ‘big accidents’, while reckless drivers were more likely to cause ‘big’ accidents and were less likely to wear belts.
Which of the statements below cannot be inferred from this passage?
Seat-belt wearers are less likely to be killed in the road accidents.
Analysts have failed to take the cautious & reckless drivers into consideration in the early data on seat-belt use.
Cautious drivers cause less accidents compared to reckless drivers
Both cautious and reckless drivers are equally likely to wear seat belts.
Solution
Option (a):
This statement can be directly inferred from the first sentence of the given passage, “Seat-belt wearers are less likely to be killed in road accidents”.
Option (b)& (c):
In the given passage, it is mentioned that “analysts had failed to see was, that cautious drivers were more likely to wear the belts and were also less likely to cause ‘big accidents’, while reckless drivers were more likely to cause ‘big’ accidents and were less likely to wear belts” which can be interpreted as “In the early data on seatbelt use, analysts had failed to take the cautious & reckless drivers into consideration and cautious drivers cause less accidents compared to reckless drivers”. So, option (b) & option(c) can be inferred from the passage.
Option (d):
This statement is not true as it is given in the passage that “cautious drivers were more likely to wear seat belts and reckless drivers were less likely to wear seat belts”. So, this option cannot be inferred from the given passage.