PennDOT announced that a new Pennsylvania law that prohibits drivers from using hand-held devices while driving will take effect June 5.
Known as the Distracted Driving Law and Paul Miller’s Law, the order defines “interactive mobile device” as needing at least one hand to hold. Penalties include a written warning for the first year, and as of June 5, 2026, a summary offense with a $50 fine, plus court costs and other fees.
“If a driver is convicted of homicide by vehicle and driving while distracted, they may be sentenced up to an additional five years in prison,” PennDOT said.
Phones are permitted “if the driver moves the vehicle to the side of or off a highway and halts in a location where the vehicle can safely remain stationary.” The hands-free law allows for an emergency use exception if a driver needs to communicate with police or other emergency services to prevent injury.
A texting ban, which has existed since 2012, does not include the use of GPS, or a system or device that is physically or electronically integrated into the vehicle, PennDOT said. Otherwise, drivers are not permitted to send, read or write texts while the vehicle is in motion.
The law is named for Paul Miller, Jr., who was tragically killed in a crash with a tractor trailer in 2010 in Monroe County, as the result of a distracted driver who reached for their phone while driving. Since his death, Paul’s mother Eileen Miller has become a national advocate for stronger laws to curb distracted driving.
“Nearly 15 years ago, two Dunmore state troopers knocked on my door to tell me that my son was killed,” said Eileen Miller, Paul Miller, Jr.’s mother. “My son did everything right – he was killed by someone else’s unsafe choices behind the wheel. This law is for every family in Pennsylvania that doesn’t have to experience two state troopers knocking on their door to tell them that their loved one was killed by distracted driving. Paul Miller’s Law will be a beacon of protection for every driver and passenger in Pennsylvania.”
In April 2024, the House of Representatives voted 124-77 to approve an amended version of a Senate-passed bill. Governor Josh Shapiro of Abington Township signed Senate Bill 37 into law on June 5, 2024.
More information about the law can be found here.
Photo: PennDOT