Arthur Day, of Ferndale, Teignmouth, writes:

I have a question.

The Post on Friday last week reported a cyclist's death in Coombeinteignhead.

The police investigator reported it was probably the cyclist's own fault for letting his bike enter a roadside gulley, causing him to hit his head on a 'jutting top edge of a culvert'.

Am I at fault to register that it was the gulley and the 'jutting culvert' which actually killed the cyclist?

He may have lapsed his concentration but if the jutting culvert had not been there he would not have been killed.

The new Police Commissioner should be asked if my reasoning is correct; if it carries even a modicum of truth should he amend the opinion of his police examination?

Should not the highways authority have borne this possibility in mind when designing and constructing this modification to an existing public road?

What has happened once could happen again.

Accidents will happen when a person makes a mistake, as they surely will, but should professional 'improvements' add to the risk to anyone making a mistake or misjudgement? Would it not be beneficial, rather then detrimental, for both the police and the highways authority to take into account design factors anticipating possible public lapse of concentration, or even erroneous judgement?

After all, isn't that their contracted purpose?MORE LETTERS IN OUR DIGITAL EDITION