Police can issue $50 tickets to distracted drivers starting Friday under handheld device ban

• By Peter Hall, Pennsylvania Capital-Star

This story was originally published by the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.

Drivers who get pulled over in Pennsylvania for using handheld electronic devices will receive tickets starting Friday.

Paul Miller’s Law, named for a Lackawanna County man killed in a distracted driving crash, carries a $50 fine plus court costs and fees for drivers using handheld cellphones and other devices not permanently installed in a vehicle. Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the law, which was championed by Miller’s mother, in 2024.

Although the law took effect last June, police could only issue warnings for the first year.

The law prohibits the use of devices while driving or stopped for traffic, red lights and other delays. Motorists may still use cellphones to alert authorities in an emergency and may use handsfree technology to make calls, use GPS or listen to music.

The law includes a sentencing enhancement that can add five years to a prison term for drivers convicted of homicide by vehicle and driving while distracted.

The start of ticketing under the law coincides with an aggressive driving enforcement effort by Pennsylvania State Police and local law enforcement, state officials announced Tuesday.

Beginning June 15 and running through the Independence Day holiday weekend, police will conduct checkpoints and roving patrols targeting impaired drivers. The effort is funded through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s distribution of more than $6.7 million from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for impaired driving enforcement.

PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said the state is calling on Pennsylvanians to drive safely as the state prepares for the 250th anniversary celebration of the United States’ independence and high-profile sporting events, including FIFA World Cup matches and the MLB All-star Game in Philadelphia.

“Pennsylvania is expecting millions of visitors, and many will drive, which is why we all must do our part to encourage safety this summer, and all year,” Carroll said, urging motorists to put down the phone when driving. “It’s not only dangerous, it’s now also illegal. Slow down, be kind, and never drive impaired by any substance.”

Miller, 21, was killed in 2010 when a distracted truck driver crossed a highway median in Monroe County and slammed into his car. His mother Eileen pushed for the distracted driving ban with state Sen. Rosemary Brown (R-Monroe) until the law reached Shapiro’s desk.

Pennsylvania passed a ban on texting while driving in 2012, but other uses of smartphones remained legal.

The law, which is the 29th such measure in the nation, also requires state police and municipal police in towns of 5,000 people or more to gather data on the race, ethnicity, gender and age of a driver and other details during a traffic stop.

That amendment to Brown’s bill was a priority of the General Assembly’s Black Legislative Caucus in response to concern that the law would give police pretextual reasons to stop minority drivers. The reporting requirement increases transparency and ensures that when police take action to ensure road safety, that they are not doing so at the risk of marginalized communities.