In-car cellphoning is her joy, but his agony

DEAR ABBY: My letter is in response to "A Mom in Connecticut," who feels she is being "fitted in" because her daughter calls her only while driving in her car.

My daughter calls me almost every morning on her way to work. She calls me her "commute buddy." It gives us 10 to 15 minutes to catch up, vent about "stuff" on both ends of the phone or just chat. I can tell when she arrives at work or very nearly, and we always end with "Love you."

I love our conversations and the fact that although she has an extremely busy schedule she finds the time to chat with me. She uses her hands-free phone, so I don't worry too much about her being distracted.

- Sheila in Prescott, Ariz.

DEAR SHEILA: You may not be worried about your daughter using a hands-free phone, but others have a different view. Read on:

DEAR ABBY: Drivers on cellphones - even hands-free - are four times more likely to crash and hurt themselves or someone else within five minutes of making a call. Texters are 23 times more likely to crash. More than 3,000 people are killed this way each year and 300,000 to 500,000 are injured. The daughter should not be using a phone at all while driving.

How do I know the statistics? My son was killed by a driver on a cellphone.

- Gary in Kenosha, Wis.

DEAR GARY: Please accept my condolences for the tragic loss of your son. You are generous to have written. Too often people take the privilege of driving for granted, forgetting that if they don't concentrate fully on driving, they place themselves and those around them in danger. I see this happen often, and I'm afraid that unless the consequences are draconian, it will continue.