They should lose their driving license. Texting while driving kills far more people each year than firearms, but for some odd reason is more socially acceptable

For anyone who has killed someone because of any reason (texting, talking, drunk, high, putting on makeup, reading a magazine, not paying attention), they are guilty of murder. I can see circumstances dictating the punishment -- but those folks got behind the wheel and killed someone. It may not have been their intent, but they did it anyway.

Someone I know - an ex-colleague, rather than a friend - was driving his car one day when he received a text. He began writing a reply... and the following day, woke up in hospital. He went to prison for three years; sadly, the 18-year-old woman in the passenger seat was not so fortunate.

I'm a cyclist, as are many of my friends; many of us have lost friends and we've all heard too many stories of people being killed by drivers who use their phones when they should be concentrating.

I think a fitting punishment would be an immediate lifetime ban from driving.

Manslaughter on wheels. They should be punished severely. I'm not sure what the punishment should be.

Should have license removed for 90 days

I hate them and enjoy BLASTING them with a horn honk as I pass.

In the UK they can get £120 fine and 6 penalty points (12 points is a 1-year ban). I think that's reasonable, but the problem is the police do not have the resources or the will to enforce the law. I see people offending every day when I'm out on my bike and if their window is open I will remind them that they are breaking the law. It's still not socially unacceptable enough, like drink-driving used to be many years ago.

Stupidity should be fatal.

I would remove their licence for life, along with anyone else who does something that could only be decribed as gross or deliberate negligence. The roads are dangerous enough without linatics who think they can or should be able to do as they want.
And some of them will still drive even after being banned. When they’re caught, I would suggest a stiff jail sentence, an excruciating fine, vehicle confiscation (all, not just the one they were driving), and community service, working for those whose lives have been changed for the worse by the actions of bad drivers.

I can't walk and text much less drive

They should all be on the same road together - in thick fog.

Like choking them.

Let them die without killing others... sad for the families.

As a truck driver, I see this daily. It is all over and happens way more often than you think. There is no reason to ever text and drive!!! I live in AZ an I can corroborate iamjc's comment about Scottsdale. But, it is way worse in many places, sadly. I wish I didn't witness as much stupidity as I do daily. Or I could tag their car with a "I AM A DUMB ASS DRIVER" sticker..

It is illegal in most USA states

For now think there should be strict enforcement of laws that create a safer driving experience. In the near future i believe technologies like autonomous ground and air vehicles will render all of these issues moot.

Some people will always have a more highly refined sense of responsibility for their actions. Some people will make a split decision that haunts them forever. Personally I'll always take as much care as possible to, 'do no harm'. But saying that; once those automated cars come in mine will be set to choose to preserve my life in an accident, (if discussed settings come in).

Honestly, I care about results, not possibilities. Im sure this will get me bitched by someone, but...

I don't care what anyone does, until it harms someone else. Once it does, the should face the consequences of those results, but until something goes wrong, its not really my concern.

Something to bear in mind - human drivers are likely to disappear in the next couple of decades, as we switch over to autonomous vehicles driven by (very much safer) AI with 360° vision, optical, radar and lidar, and networked learning of any possible incident or injury.

Our roads are about to become much more safe; and the number of cars less perhaps; we'll see, it might be that we respond by packing more capacity on. Or it might be very different indeed to anything we presently imagine.

We have all done things we regret when drunk

In the UK it's been explicitly illegal to use a mobile while driving, for a few years now. £30 fine (mighr be more now, not sure) and points on your license.

I do occasionally use hands-free (Bluetooth through the car audio system) to accept calls while driving. Even that I don't /like/ doing, it is distracting and the other person can't see that you sometimes can't respond for a moment or two.

On the other hand, that is legal here, and there have been a couple of times when I was possibly getting a call that really did need answering if at all possible. So very useful then.

Should be band for life! Pure and simple.

Unfortunately I am guilty of this

We'll have self-driving cars within a generation so it will be irrelevant soon but yes, they are irresponsible people.