A new law goes into effect today in Pennsylvania that establishes harsher restrictions on distracted driving. The Senate Bill 37, which was passed last year on June 5th, will officially be enforced in the state now. The bill, which also has the name “the Paul Miller Law” explicitly deems distracted driving illegal, especially when the distraction comes from using cellphones or other handheld devices. While this was not allowed while driving before, there will be harsher punishments now that the language of the law has been adjusted to reflect the severity of the issue.
The “Paul Miller Law” name comes from a tragic accident that occurred years ago.
21 year old Paul Miller was killed in a car crash when the other driver had been distracted. The other driver was reaching for their phone and crashed into Miller’s vehicle, tragically killing him. Since the accident, Paul’s family has been working with organizations to push legislation to be stricter on distracted driving, as Paul was not the first nor last to be killed due to a distracted driver. Thanks to their hard work, Senate Bill 37 was formed.
The law specifies where distracted driving is banned.
Under the law, anytime the vehicle is in motion, handheld devices, such as cellphones, are banned from being used by the driver. Handheld devices are broken down in the law as any device that can text, email, take pictures, send pictures, record videos, play videos, or access social media. The law also points out that the use of these devices is banned when the vehicle is temporarily stopped as well, such as at a stop light/sign or in traffic.
Furthermore, the law prohibits these devices from even being placed on any part of the driver.
It states that the device being simply held or supported by the driver is a violation of the law. For example, this means you cannot place your cellphone on your lap while driving. Additionally, the law includes the specification that using a device that requires more than one button in order to answer a phone call violates the law as well.
While there are restrictions, the law has room for emergencies.
Handheld devices are allowed to be used in situations in which the driver is calling law enforcement or other emergency services. In instances such as these, drivers are allowed to use handheld devices if need be. Otherwise, drivers are expected to make phone calls only through the use of Bluetooth devices or other hands-free technology.
For the first year, enforcement will be more lenient.
Until June 5, 2026, law enforcement will be more lenient on violators of the law. If you are caught using a handheld device while driving, but are not causing problems on the road, you will likely just receive a written warning. There will be no mark of the driving record as well, as long as the driver is noncommercial.
