PrepTest 131

Incorrect. The likelihood of driving alone on trips of different length doesn't affect what happens once on that trip with or without a passenger.

Incorrect. The argument compares long trips with passengers to long trips without passengers, so the skill of the driver on long trips is out of scope. This answer might be relevant if the argument compared short and long trips on the likelihood of an accident, not the effect that something has on the accident rate within each of those types of trips.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Facts

Question Type:
Paradox

Stimulus Summary:
Short trip: Passengers distract drivers, increasing odds of accidents
Long trip: Passengers make accidents less likely

Answer Anticipation:
This scenario highlights the different effect that a passenger has on a driver on long trips versus short trips. Since the paradox revolves around a different outcome from the same factor, there must be a relevant difference between short and long trips in how passengers affect drivers. Let's look for that relevant difference in the answers.

Answer Explanation:
This answer highlights a relevant difference between the effect of passengers on drivers on short trips vs. long trips. If passengers on longer trips help drivers maintain alertness, then that would explain how they lower accident rates on longer trips.

Key Takeaway:
Paradox questions frequently compare things. Here, the outcomes of passengers on accident rates for short and long trips were compared. When the paradox is based on a comparison, the correct answer will often feature a relevant point of comparison between elements of the paradox.

Incorrect. The relevant comparison is alone vs. with someone else in the car, so a lack of impact of additional passengers doesn't factor in.

Incorrect. The number of trips taken doesn't affect the accident rate once on a trip. If the stimulus were about the number of accidents instead of the likelihood of accidents, then this answer might be relevant.