The Dreaded Traffic of Washington D.C

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Two of the most common things in Northern Virginia are traffic and bad weather. So if the traffic is bad and the weather bad, that means the weather causes bad traffic. This is an example of a non sequitur. It is a leap in logic. The statement is supposing that the weather is the problem that causes the traffic. As Northern Virginia rains ten days out of every month, one could see where this thought stems. But according to Virginia.gov the congestion originates from a different source. Simply, road use has sharply increased over the past decades. They attribute this increase in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) to growing population and more two-income households owning more cars. They also say that growth in low-density housing in suburbs and “exurbs” is a factor. This growth in VMT simply exceeds the overall road capacity. This causes gridlock over all areas of Northern Virginia and increases the chances of car accidents.     

Courtesy of  Business Insider

“Non Sequitur” translates to “it does not follow”. All invalid arguments are forms of Non sequitur. Many of the commonly known forms have been made in to their own logical fallacies. Non sequitur is very common in arguments. In fact, it even has a legal definition. “A conclusion does not logically follow from the facts or law.” There are 5 main types, affirming the consequent, (If A is true, then B is true. B is true. Therefore, A is true.) denying the antecedent, (If A is true, then B is true. A is false. Therefore, B is false.) affirming a disjunct,  (A is true or B is true. B is true. Therefore, A is not true.) denying a conjunct, (It is not the case that both A is true and B is true. B is not true. Therefore, A is true.) and fallacy of the undistributed middle. (All As are Bs. Y is a B. Therefore, Y is a Z.)

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It would only take driving on the freeways to see that the facts are supported. During the rush hours the traffic is often at a standstill. Even at ten in the night the roads are still congested. Drivers must plan on doubling all travel time even when you are an hour away from Washington D.C., 15 miles could take 45 minutes. Even the specialized HOV lanes, that can cost over 20 dollars for 5 miles, are not safe from the traffic that clogs the highways. That is not to say that weather has no effect on traffic. Rain slows everyone down and just a bit of snow can shut down the highways. But in the end, it is the quality and the number of drivers that really matter. Anyone who drives or rides on a highway in Northern Virginia knows this all too well. Come rain or shine the traffic will always be horrendous. 

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