Complete the following with a suitable reason: Road safety is about personal responsibility because _.
Complete the following with a suitable reason: Road safety is about personal responsibility because _.
Road safety is about personal responsibility because every individual's right choice — following rules, wearing a helmet, respecting signals — sets an example for others and collectively prevents accidents, since rules and technology alone cannot guarantee safety without people voluntarily following them.
Marking Scheme
- 11 mark: correct, passage-based reason that links personal responsibility to setting an example / influencing others' behaviour, in the student's own words.
- 2No marks for a generic reason unconnected to the passage (e.g., 'because it is good for health').
- 3Partial credit at discretion of paper-setter norms is not applicable — fitb items are typically awarded in full or not at all.
Hint
Look at the last paragraph of the passage — the answer must link individual choice to the idea of setting an example for others.
Quick Oral Answer
Because the passage shows that statistics, technology and campaigns only work when individuals personally choose to follow rules — that individual choice is what ultimately sets an example and reduces accidents.
Analysis & Explanation
This fill-in-the-blank tests whether the student can locate and paraphrase the passage's concluding argument rather than repeat it word for word.
Where the answer comes from: Paragraph 5 (Implication for interventions) states that despite statistics, infrastructure and technology, "personal responsibility is the most powerful safety tool" and that "every right choice sets an example," summed up in the slogan 'I follow, I influence.'
Why this reasoning is required: The passage builds through statistics (para 1), infrastructure (para 2), youth campaigns (para 3) and technology (para 4) — all external interventions — before concluding that none of these work without individual compliance. The blank must therefore express this cause-effect logic: personal choices → example for others → collective safety.
Exam trap: Students often answer generically ("it keeps you safe") instead of linking to the passage's specific idea that individual choices influence others and complement government/technology efforts.
Common Mistakes
- 1Writing a vague, non-textual reason instead of paraphrasing the passage's actual argument.
- 2Copying the slogan 'I follow, I influence' without explaining what it means in the reason.
- 3Confusing personal responsibility with government/technological measures discussed earlier in the passage.
Interesting Facts
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways' real 'Good Samaritan' law (2016) legally protects bystanders who help accident victims — reflecting the same 'personal responsibility' theme as this passage.
India accounts for about 11% of global road accident deaths despite having only 1% of the world's vehicles, making behavioural change (not just infrastructure) the biggest lever for improvement.
The real-life 'No Helmet, No Fuel' rule, enforced in several Indian states since 2020, is a practical embodiment of the passage's idea that personal compliance multiplies safety outcomes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't a generic answer like 'to stay safe' score full marks?
Because fill-in-the-blank comprehension items are evaluated strictly against the passage's own reasoning. The passage's argument is specifically that individual compliance sets an example for others and complements infrastructure/technology — a generic answer that does not reflect this specific cause-effect link will not be awarded the mark.
Which paragraph should I read to answer this question?
Paragraph 5, titled 'Implication for interventions', directly states that personal responsibility is the most powerful safety tool and links it to the idea of setting an example, which is the basis of the expected answer.