Argument no 90:

The Following appeared in a health newsletter.

“The ten-year nationwide study of the effectiveness of wearing the helmet while bicycling
indicates those ten years ago, approximately 35 percent of all bicyclists reported wearing
helmets, whereas today that number 80 percent. Another study, however, suggests that during
the same ten-year period, the number of accidents caused by bicycling have increased 200
percents. These results demonstrate that bicyclists feel safer because they are wearing
helmets and they take more risks as a result. Thus, to reduce the number of serious injuries
from bicycle accidents, the government should concentrate more on educating people about
bicycle safety and less on encouraging or requiring bicyclists to wear helmets”

Argument Analysis:

The given argument is really unbalanced and really misses important points that
should be considered while making a conclusion on reducing the usage of helmets and giving
more emphasis on encouraging people about the bicycle safety. The conclusion really seems
to be incomplete as the author speaks of increasing the bicycle safety on one hand while on
the other hand neglects the importance of wearing helmets during bicycle riding. Also the
argument is made using the study which does not consider the change that technology has
brought in traffic control system.

Looking into the nationwide study, which was conducted for about ten years, does not
really signify the effectiveness of wearing helmets, while it just provides the percentage
figure of number of riders using helmets of all bicyclists at that time. The major problem
regarding this numbers is that it does not gives the number of users at that time, because there
can be possibility of decline in the number of bicycle riders. Hence it leads the point to wrong
direction of considering the increase of percentage of helmet users, without knowing the
increase or decrease in the number of bicycle riders. This particularly may have lead to the
limited conclusion about effectiveness of riding bicycle by wearing helmets. Whereas the
situation could be opposite that overall number of helmet user in all would have increased
and the number of non-helmet wearers may have reduced. Other possibility that is ignored is
other means of transport would have been adopted by those non-helmet wearers. Hence it is
very significant to look into actual number of bicycle riders, and to consider the other factors
such as usage of other means of transport by others.

Although the next study shows that number of bicycle accidents have increased to 200
percent, while it does not consider the number of helmet users that have faced accidents in
the study, this makes this study sounds unimpressive and missing important considerations.
The problem regarding these figures is that we have relative number of accidents increased as
compare to previous ones but it lacks in actual number of users at both the time, and number
of helmet users suffering from accidents. There can be a possibility of completely opposite
situation that a significant number of accidents were met by non-helmet users, and the
number could be twice the accidents than the previous ones. Study also misses considering
the number of accidents caused by other vehicles to bicycles. Also the accident report
showing the cause of accidents, and circumstances during the accidents should be first put
under the microscope.

Missing above considerations in both the above studies would have resulted in wrong
conclusion that bicyclists feel safer because of wearing helmets and they prone to take more
risk causing accidental situations.

Finally the conclusion that the government should concentrate more on educating
people about bicycle safety and less on encouraging bicyclists to wear helmets in order to
reduce number of accidents seems to be thought through a very narrow perspective and needs
a broader view to be considered. The number of accidents caused by people on giving
education on bicycle safety should be taken into the scene. As well as a though should be put
over whether less encouraging bicyclists to wear helmets deal with the situation? External
traffic factors should be put in front, whether the traffic rules are followed equally well by
other vehicle drivers is matter of concern. The facilities that the nation provides for bicycle
riders such as separate lanes, adequate maintenance facilities should be considered. As well
as other means to deal with situation such as providing license to bicycle riders, changing
some set of rules for lane safety and crossing of roads keeping bicycle riders in mind,
separate signals for bicycle riders.

In this way the argument fails to consider the important loop holes that were not considered
relating to making such conclusion which is contrary to original purpose. Thus missing a
number of reasons and key considerations makes the argument sounds unconvincing, and
difficult to accept.
Evidences :

1) The ten-year nationwide study of the effectiveness of wearing the helmet while bicycling
indicates that ten yars ago, approximately 35 percent of all bicyclits reported wearing
helmets, whereas today that number 80 percent

2) Another study, however, suggests that during the same ten-year period , the number if
accidents caused by bicycling has increased 200 percents.

Intermediate conclusion

3)These results demonstrate that bicyclsits feel safer because they are wearing helmets and
they take more risks as a reult.

Conclusions:

4)To reduce the number of serious injuries from bicycle accidents, the government should
concentrate more on educating people about bicycle safety and less on encouraging or
requiring bicyclists to wear helmets

Line of reasoning : 1) + 2) ---> 3) ----> 4)

Assumptions:

1) All the accidents were caused due to bicycle .

2) No other flaw in the transportation facility is considered.

3) Accidents are caused only by those who were helmets.

4) People are unaware while riding bicycle.

5) Traffic system is totally all fine.

Flaws:

1) Unimpressive data:

Previous number of cycle riders not mentioned . How much increase in the bicycle riders are
not mentioned . May be due to advanced technology number of bicycle riders may have
reduced.

Evaluation :

1) Should also provide exact number of bicycle riders , those wearing helmets , and those
undergoing accidents while wearing helmets have increased.

2) Progress made in the transportation facility should be mentioned.

3) Another license should be handover the bicyclists.