I want to express a heartfelt thanks to Jack Fredrickson for his column Nov. 21 turning a very personal and tragic event in his life, the accidental death of his wife, Susan, into a reckoning that many of us need to face concerning when to say “no more” to driving, whether it be the individual or someone for whom someone shoulders responsibility. All too often, the lifelong grief is borne not only by the loved ones of the deceased, but also rightly so by the person(s) who caused the tragedy, directly or indirectly.
The heart of all this is the obligation that we — who have the responsibility to do the right thing, regardless of family angst — choose to do. Otherwise, we too could have the lifelong burden of grief by turning a blind eye to or ignoring a loved one’s inability to drive any longer. Jack’s column is a clarion call that hopefully, heeded by your readers, will unknowingly save lives. — Chuck Simanek, Hinsdale
