19 hours Ago By Jon Andreassi
Nearly 2,000 Pennsylvania drivers were cited last year for distracted driving, and the rules surrounding mobile device use are about to get stricter come June. Last year Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Senate Bill 37, or Paul Miller’s Law, which prohibits the use of any handheld device while on the road.
Shapiro’s office issued a press release earlier this month reminding that April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. According to the release, data from the state Department of Transportation showed that there were 11,262 crashes involving a distracted driver in 2023, with 6,700 injuries and 65 fatalities. The agency believes that distracted driving data is underreported due to drivers being reluctant to admit they were using a device.
Cellphone use was already prohibited for commercial drivers, and it is currently illegal to use headphones while driving and text while driving. Rocco Gagliardi, spokesperson for state police Troop B, said it is difficult for police to enforce the texting-while-driving rule as it exists. “The law we had in place, you have to prove you were sending communications,” Gagliardi said, adding that drivers could easily claim they were just using navigation features on their phone.
Under the current restrictions, 1,934 drivers were cited in Pennsylvania in 2024, according to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC). Of those, 21 were filed in Washington County. Fayette County had eight people cited for distracted driving, and Greene County, five.
Paul Miller’s Law states that “no driver shall use an interactive mobile device while driving a motor vehicle.” Gagliardi said the language of the new law may seem simple, but applies across a broad range of circumstances. An “interactive mobile device” is not limited to just cellphones, but any electronic device.
Also, the device cannot touch any part of the body. Gagliardi said troopers often encounter drivers resting their phones on their legs. “They don’t want you having this phone anywhere near you.
Not in your hands, not on your legs,” Gagliardi said. “To double down on that, you can’t reach for the device in a manner that requires the driver to maneuver from the seated position.” That means if your phone falls to the floor on the passenger side of your car, you should leave it there until reaching your destination.
Also, the law still applies at red lights and in standstill traffic. “You still are considered in operation of the motor vehicle,” Gagliardi said. There is an exception in the law allowing drivers to make emergency calls to 911, and drivers will still be able to make hands-free calls using bluetooth or features like Apple CarPlay.
Tom Kolencik, public information officer for Uniontown police, said distracted driving does not come up much as an issue for their department. “It’s more of an open road thing. It does seem to me that people aren’t on their cellphones talking and texting as much.
It seems they are paying attention,” Kolencik said. Still, officers will be keeping an eye out as the new law goes into effect. “It will definitely be something that we will be looking for to deter accidents,” Kolencik said.
When enforcement begins on June 5, police will only be able to issue written warnings for the first year. Beginning June 5, 2026, driver’s caught violating the law will be fined $50, plus court costs. “Enforcement is not always just a citation.
We can enforce the law through education and warnings,” Gagliardi said..
