Read the following statement about traffic safety and the suggested courses of action, and then decide which course of action logically follows, assuming the statement is fully true. Statement: There is a substantial increase in the number of accidents causing deaths and severe injuries due to malfunctioning of the traffic signals at major road junctions. Courses of action: a. The traffic police should immediately post traffic personnel at the affected junctions. b. The signal system should be immediately repaired or replaced.

Introduction / Context:
This course of action question focuses on road safety. There has been a substantial increase in serious accidents due to malfunctioning traffic signals at important junctions. You must decide which suggested course of action logically follows from this information. The question tests your ability to identify the action that addresses the root cause of the problem rather than just its symptoms.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Traffic signals at major road junctions are malfunctioning.
• This malfunction has led to a substantial increase in accidents causing deaths and severe injuries.
• Traffic police can deploy personnel at junctions.
• The signal system can be repaired or replaced.

Concept / Approach:
In such problems:

• The main objective is to remove the cause of accidents.
• Short term measures may help reduce risk temporarily, but permanent solutions must fix the faulty system.
• A logical course of action should be effective, focused, and sustainable.

We check both suggested actions against these ideas.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Evaluate course of action a. Posting traffic personnel at the affected junctions can help regulate traffic in the short term and may reduce accidents while they are present. However, this is a temporary arrangement, depends on continuous human presence, and does not fix the malfunctioning signals that are the root cause. Step 2: Evaluate course of action b. Repairing or replacing the faulty signal system directly tackles the cause of the accidents. Once the signals function properly, they can regulate traffic safely at all times without constant human supervision. This is a permanent and technically appropriate solution to the stated problem. Step 3: Decide which course logically follows. Although posting traffic personnel can be a short term measure, the statement emphasises that accidents are due to malfunctioning signals. Therefore, the essential course of action that directly follows is to immediately repair or replace the signals, as in b. Step 4: Evaluate the option that suggests either a or b follows. This would mean both are equally acceptable alternatives, but the statement clearly points to a permanent technical fault that must be corrected. Hence, only b can be taken as the necessary course of action.

Verification / Alternative check:
Imagine the situation after only a is implemented. Accidents may reduce while officers are on duty, but if they are absent or overloaded, the risk remains because the signals still malfunction. When only b is implemented, once the signals are fixed, traffic is systematically controlled and accidents due to malfunctioning signals will reduce significantly. This shows b is the more fundamental and logically required response, confirming that only b follows.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Only a follows: Incorrect because it does not address the root cause and is not sustainable as a long term solution.
• Either a or b follows: Incorrect because it treats a temporary human arrangement as equivalent to fixing the faulty system.
• Neither a nor b follows: Incorrect because doing nothing or ignoring the fault would be irresponsible in a serious safety issue.

Common Pitfalls:
A common error is to treat any plausible action as a valid course of action without asking if it is fundamental or just temporary. Another pitfall is to think that because the question mentions immediate posting of personnel, it must be correct. In logical reasoning, you must look for the measure that truly resolves the source of the problem rather than simply managing the symptoms.

Final Answer:
Only b follows.