A new statewide law aimed at drastically reducing distracted driving on Pennsylvania roadways officially takes effect this week. Beginning Friday, June 5, motorists convicted of using a handheld cell phone or electronic device while operating a vehicle will face a fifty-dollar fine, plus additional court costs and fees. The strict safety measure, known as Paul Miller’s Law, honors the memory of a 21-year-old man who was tragically killed in a 2010 head-on collision on Route 33 when a distracted tractor-trailer driver reached for a phone and crossed the highway divider.
Following the tragedy, the victim's mother, Eileen Miller, dedicated more than a decade of her life to advocating for stronger traffic safety legislation in Harrisburg. Under the provisions of the new law, drivers are completely prohibited from holding a phone or supporting it with any part of their body while a vehicle is in motion. The hands-free mandate applies even when motorists are temporarily stopped in active traffic, waiting at a red light, or paused at a stop sign. Drivers are permitted to use hands-free technology, such as Bluetooth or integrated vehicle systems, but law enforcement officers can pull over and cite any driver observed physically touching a mobile device behind the wheel.
