New Pa. ban on cell phone use in vehicles set to take effect next month

Drivers who check their phones while their vehicles are stopped at red lights will soon see fines thanks to new legislation known as “Paul Miller’s Law.”

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed Senate Bill 37 — or Paul Miller’s Law — making it illegal to use a hand-held cell phone while driving — even when sitting stopped in traffic, at a red light or for any other momentary delay.

The law is named for Paul Miller, Jr., a Monroe County man who was killed by a tractor-trailer driver who reached for a cell phone while driving in 2010, organizers of the new bill said in a statement.

“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 in a statement. “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 a statement on the law — which took effect on June 5, 2025, and has had a year-long warning period before police will begin to issue $50 citations on June 6, 2026 — officials said the new law will build on Pennsylvania’s existing ordinance that prohibits texting while their vehicle is in motion.

Officials said the new bill is intended to cut down on distracted driving.

“Paul Miller’s Law is about saving lives,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll in a 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.”

However, officials noted, under Paul Miller’s Law, drivers can still use their phones to alert emergency responders and, if they are using hands-free technology, to make phone calls, use a GPS, and listen to music.

Also, organizers said that Paul Miller’s Law is also intended to “prevent bias in policing by requiring law enforcement to collect data on drivers pulled over during traffic stops, including race, ethnicity, and gender.”

This data, organizers said, will be made publicly available in an annual report.

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.

For more information on distracted driving, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/safety.