The author’s premise is that insufficient protective wear and reflective materials lead to injury. While statistics can certainly be used to back up a point, a cause and effect relationship cannot be inferred based solely on the evidence at hand. The statistics show that many roller skaters did not wear any protective gear while roller skating, but does that mean that injury was inevitable? The author builds his premise upon the assumption that protective gear and reflective materials prevent injury, but this assumption is not entirely supported by the data. The statistics show only that, while most rollerskating accidents happen on the street or parking lot, some happen indoors, not in a skating environment. While protective gear and reflective materials might prevent injury in different circumstances, it does not necessarily follow that wearing such protection is an essential requirement for safe roller-skating. Some have suggested that, since protective gear and reflective materials can both be expensive, perhaps roller skaters should forgo such purchases, opting for freewheels instead. They argue that, if protective gear and reflective materials were not available for purchase, they would be less likely to have accidents, since they would be unable to afford them. However, this ignores the fact that, while protective gear and reflective materials might prevent injury, they are not necessarily necessary to prevent injury; thus, they should certainly not be seen as a panacea for roller-skating safety.

If protective gear and reflective materials prevent injury, then the author’s argument would make sense, but this is not the case. While protective gear and reflective materials may prevent some injuries in roller skating, they are not completely impervious to injury. Helmets, kneepads, wrist guards, and elbow guards all serve the purpose of protecting one’s limbs from injury. However, this does not mean that they are completely infallible. A helmet may not prevent all head injuries and wrist guards may not prevent all wrist injuries. One’s risk of head injury is heightened to the point that it is impossible to avoid, while a wrist injury is not such an extreme risk that protective gear would absolutely prevent it. Additionally, not all injuries can be prevented by protective gear or reflective materials. A fall can be very painful, but wearing a helmet is not likely to prevent it. Similarly, if one were to trip, a kneepad cannot prevent a knee from landing on an unforgiving surface. The real question that the statistics raise is whether the roller skates themselves, as opposed to protective gear or reflective materials, are responsible for roller-skating injuries. Statistics do not indicate that this occurs. In the given set of statistics, most accidents happened through falls and collisions with other skaters, not through problems with the skates themselves. The statistics also show that while protective gear and reflective materials may prevent some injuries, they are not necessarily required to prevent injury. After all, roller skates are technology, and as such, are prone to failure. Roller skates could break, or their parts could become misaligned, causing one to fall. Thus, roller skates may be the cause of some injuries, but protective gear and reflective materials are not. They may prevent some injuries, but they are not necessarily required to do so.

If protective gear and reflective materials are not necessary to prevent injury, then why do people wear them? Some argue that people wear protective gear and reflective materials because they want their fellow skaters to see them. For example, some skaters may wear helmets because they do not want to be mistaken for a vandal if they are stopped by the police. However, even if one wanted to be conspicuously seen by others, wearing protective gear and reflective materials would not guarantee that one would be. A helmet does not prevent one from being seen, and wearing reflective materials does not either. Even if one were to wear a reflective vest, one would still be eclipsed by a large vehicle or pedestrian. Thus, wearing a helmet and reflective materials does not necessarily increase one’s visibility, so why would one wear them if they do not bring one any benefits? Others claim that people wear protective gear and reflective materials to be safer. However, even if this is true, it is still not necessarily a compelling reason to wear them. Some argue that protective gear and reflective materials are necessary to prevent serious injuries, such as head injury or wrist fracture. However, most roller-skating accidents are not so serious. Most roller-skating accidents are minor, such as a bruise or a cut. It is possible that protective gear and reflective materials might prevent these injuries, but it is unlikely that they would prevent serious ones. Moreover, it is entirely possible that protective gear and reflective materials might cause additional injuries. For example, wrist guards or kneepads might impede one’s ability to steer properly, which might increase the risk of a collision or of another skater knocking one over during a fall.

Another concern with the author’s argument is the fact that, in order to be safe, one would have to wear all protective gear at all times. However, wearing all protective gear all the time is impractical. For example, if one were roller skating in the dark, then one would definitely need to wear reflective materials, but one would also need to protect one’s eyes. Wearing a helmet and knee pads while roller skating in the dark would be pointless, since one would be blind. Thus, the author’s premise that protective gear and reflective materials prevent injury is undermined by his assumption that people who roller skate must always wear them. If the author’s argument were correct