FILE - This long exposure photo shows traffic driving on Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia, Wednesday, May 25, 2022. A large study by U.S. highway safety regulators found that more than half the people injured or killed in traffic crashes had one or more drugs or alcohol in their bloodstreams. Also, 54.4% the injured drivers had drugs or alcohol in their bloodstreams, with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, the most prevalent, followed by alcohol, the study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
Pennsylvania’s distracted driving law set to take effect
By Riona Duncan/WESA
FILE - This long exposure photo shows traffic driving on Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia, Wednesday, May 25, 2022. A large study by U.S. highway safety regulators found that more than half the people injured or killed in traffic crashes had one or more drugs or alcohol in their bloodstreams. Also, 54.4% the injured drivers had drugs or alcohol in their bloodstreams, with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, the most prevalent, followed by alcohol, the study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
A new law restricting distracted driving will go into effect on June 5, 2025. The law bans drivers from holding a cellphone or other handheld device while on a highway.
Drivers also may not use their devices if they are temporarily stopped in traffic or at a red light. Using a device is defined as holding it in your hand or supporting it with another part of the body, or even pressing more than one button to pick up a phone call.
Hands-free cell phone use via Bluetooth or voice commands is allowed.
The law, known as Paul Miller’s Law, is named for a young man who was hit and killed in 2010 by a tractor trailer with a distracted driver. The Department of Transportation reports that in 2023, 11,262 crashes involved a distracted driver in Pennsylvania.
Drivers can be stopped by police for using handheld devices, and for the first 12 months they will receive a written warning.
On June 5, 2026, mobile device use will be a summary offense and the penalty will be a $50 fine, plus court costs and other fees.
If a driver is convicted of homicide with a vehicle and driving while distracted, they can receive up to five additional years in prison.
An exception to the new law allows drivers to use their devices if they need to communicate with law enforcement or emergency services to prevent injury to a person or property.
Texting while driving has been banned since 2012. Pennsylvania is the 30th state to ban handheld cellphone use while driving.
