Is Texting While Driving the Same as Driving Drunk?

A 22-year-old driver in England was recently sentenced to 21 months in jail for her role in the death of a 24-year-old woman. According to police, she was text messaging while driving and slammed into the back of the other woman's stopped car on a dark highway, instantly killing her. The charge, "death by dangerous driving," is handled similarly to a drunk driving charge, and carries a recommended sentence of four to seven years in prison.

Just this week, New York became the latest state to enact a ban on texting while driving. I obviously don't support the practice of driving and texting — it's too distracting — but do you think distracted drivers who cause serious accidents should be punished similarly to drunk drivers?