Nearly all Americans say sending a text message while driving should be illegal, and about half say texting while behind the wheel should be punished at least as harshly as drunken driving, according to a recent New York Times/CBS News poll.

“If you’re going to drive, drive; if you want to talk or text, pull over to the side of the road,” Constance Drake, 71, of Toms River, N.J., said in a follow-up interview.

Ninety-seven percent support the prohibition of texting while driving, an unusual level of agreement for any topic. Eighty percent also support a ban on talking on a hand-held cellphone while driving.

Fifty percent said the punishment for texting while driving should be just as severe as for drunken driving.