Hand-held cell phone use banned in PA

📞 PA's hand held cell phone ban takes effect Thursday

📞 The $50 fine will be waived for the first year

📞 The bill includes a provision to combat racial profiling

Pennsylvania's new cell phone law prohibiting use of a handheld device while driving takes effect this week.

Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the bill a year ago. The bill was named after Paul Miller Jr., who died at the age of 21 in 2010 in a crash with the distracted driver of a tractor-trailer. His parents, Paul and Eileen Mille,r pushed for the legislation.

Known as Paul Miller's Law, drivers in Pennsylvania will be prohibited from sending, reading or writing a text while holding a phone behind the wheel.

The new law carries a $50 fine with no points. Fines will not be issued during a grace period in effect for the first year of the law.

'Paul Miller’s Law is about saving lives'

Drivers can still use their phones hands-free or to make an emergency call.

“Paul Miller’s Law is about saving lives,” PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said in a written statement. “Your choices behind the wheel can change lives forever. Make the safe choice. Put your phone out of reach and don’t text and drive. One text, one glance down – it could kill someone. And it’s not worth it.”

According to PennDOT data, in 2024 there were 9,950 crashes involving a distracted driver, resulting in more than 6,000 injuries and 49 fatalities. Distracted driving crash data is believed to be underreported due to many drivers’ reluctance to admit to being distracted at the time of a crash.

The law also includes a provision long-sought by the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus as a bulwark against racial profiling. That provision requires bigger police departments, as well as the Pennsylvania State Police, to collect and publicly report data on traffic stops, including a driver's race.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom