Governor Josh Shapiro signed Senate Bill 37 – known as Paul Miller’s Law – into law, prohibiting the use of hand-held devices while driving. This bipartisan legislation makes Pennsylvania the 29th state in the nation to ban distracted driving. The ban takes effect in a year, June 5, 2025.
Paul Miller’s Law allows law enforcement to issue a ticket when a driver uses a cell phone while driving. Drivers can still use their phones to alert emergency responders and to make phone calls, use a GPS, and listen to music, if they are using hands-free technology.
“I have met too many people with injuries they’ll live with for the rest of their lives because they were hit by a distracted driver – and too many families that have an empty seat at the dinner table because of distracted driving,” said Governor Josh Shapiro.
Paul Miller Jr. was tragically killed in a motor vehicle accident with a tractor-trailer in 2010 in Monroe County as the result of a distracted driver who reached for their phone while driving. Since Paul’s death, Eileen Miller has become a national advocate for stronger laws to curb distracted driving.
“When Paul passed away, when unfortunately, two Dunmore state troopers came knocking on my door to tell me that my son was killed, I did not know it was distracted driving at the time,” said Eileen Miller, Paul Miller Jr.’s mother. “My son did everything right – and somebody else was the one who was the cause of my son’s demise. I whispered in the ear of my son at the morgue – who I couldn’t even identify, I didn’t even know that it was him, he was that bad – but I whispered in his ear that when I found out what had caused that crash, I would fight for change. We later found out that it was distracted driving. I held that honor to him – and today is Paul Miller’s law. I’ve gotten it done, Paul, I did it. This is for every family that is in Pennsylvania that doesn’t have to have two state troopers knocking on their door to tell them that their loved one was killed by something so preventable as distracted driving.”
“Limiting distractions while behind the wheel makes Pennsylvania’s roadways safer for everyone,” said Colonel Christopher Paris, Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police. “Eliminating the handling of cell phones while driving will certainly reduce the number of crashes and save lives.”
In 2023, distracted driving was the leading cause of car crashes in Pennsylvania with traffic deaths rising by 2.25% compared to 2022, according to PennDOT’s annual crash information report. The report showed 1,209 deaths in motor vehicle crashes, up from 1,179 in the prior year. There were more than 11,262 distracted driving crashes in 2023, compared to 8,330 alcohol-related crashes.
