Editorial: The gates at most railroad crossings, while they give clear warning of oncoming trains, are not large enough to prevent automobile drivers from going around them onto the tracks. ββββ ββββββ βββββ ββββ βββ βββββββ βββββββββ βββ ββββββ βββ βββββ ββ βββ ββββββββ ββββββββ βββ ββββ ββ β ββββββββ ββββββββ ββ βββ βββ β βββββ βββββ ββ βββ ββββββ ββββ βββ βββββ ββ βββββ ββββββ ββ ββββββ βββββββββββ βββ β ββββββββ ββββββ ββ β βββββββ βββββ βββ ββββββ ββββ βββββββ
The author concludes that accidents that result from cars going around railroad crossing gates are not the fault of the railroad company. This is because the drivers of those cars are adults who should know that they shouldnβt go around railroad crossing gates.
Note that itβs important to translate the conclusion β βthis is a mistakeβ β into βthe railroad company is not (at all) at fault.β If you donβt realize that the conclusion is asserting that the railroad company is 0% at fault, youβll struggle with this question.
Weβre trying to prove that the railroad company is not at fault β not even partially at fault. But the premise doesnβt establish anything about who is or isnβt at fault. So, at a minimum, we want an answer that mentions something about fault.
Moreover, the answer, in connection with the premises, must establish that the railroad company bears no fault at all. If the answer allows the railroad company to possibly bear partial fault, itβs not correct.
Hereβs an example answer that could make the argument valid:
If an accident could have been avoided by an adult who should know better than to act in a way that led to the accident, then nobody else is at fault except the adult.
The editorial's conclusion follows logically ββ βββββ βββ ββ βββ βββββββββ ββ ββββββββ
The gates could ββ ββββ βββββββ βββ βββββββββββββ βββββββ βββββ βββββ ββ ββββ ββ ββ ββββββ ββββ ββββ βββ βββββββ
Capable adults have β ββββββββββββββ ββ ββββ ββββ ββββββββ ββ ββββββ βββββ βββ βββββββ
When the warnings ββ βββββββββ βββ βββββββββββ ββ βββββββ βββββββ βββ ββββββ βββ βββββ βββββββββββ βββ βββ βββββββββ ββββββββββ
Small children are βββ ββββββββ ββ βββββββββ βββββββββ ββββ βββββββ βββββ ββββββ βββ ββββββ
Any company's responsibility ββ βββββββ ββββββ ββββββ ββ βββ ββββββββββ