In keeping with Governor Shapiro’s commitment to safety on Pennsylvania roads, the Shapiro Administration urged drivers to put down the phone while driving, ahead of the June 5. 2025 effective date for “Paul Miller’s Law,” which makes it illegal to use a hand-held cell phone while driving.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PA Turnpike), and Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) recently joined Senator Rosemary Brown and national advocate Eileen Miller to urge drivers to make safe choices behind the wheel.
As part of his mission to provide a safe transportation system for all Pennsylvanians, Governor Josh Shapiro signed Senate Bill 37 into law on June 5, 2024. Effective June 5, 2025, the law – known as “Paul Miller’s Law” – prohibits the use of hand-held devices while driving, even while stopped temporarily due to traffic, a red light, or other momentary delay. Pennsylvania already enforces a texting while driving ban that prohibits drivers from using mobile devices to send, read, or write text-based communications while their vehicle is in motion. Beginning June 5, 2025, law enforcement will begin issuing written warnings for violations of Senate Bill 37. Law enforcement will have the ability to issue summary citations to violators beginning June 6, 2026.
“Paul Miller’s Law is about saving lives,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “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.”
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.
The law is named for Paul Miller, Jr., who was tragically killed in a crash with a tractor trailer in 2010 in Monroe County, as the result of a distracted driver who reached for their phone while driving. Since his death, Paul’s mother Eileen Miller has become a national advocate for stronger laws to curb distracted driving.
Cell phone use is not the only distraction while driving. Anything that takes your attention away from driving, your eyes off the road, or your hands off the wheel is a distraction. Driver behavior is the leading factor in 83% of the crashes that occur annually in Pennsylvania. These behaviors include driving distracted, impaired, or aggressive.
