DRIVERS have just weeks to break a bad habit at the wheel as a new law will impose instant $50 fines for violations.
Paul Miller’s law is coming in just a month, and cops will be ready with a ticket if anyone’s hands are in the wrong spot.
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The crackdown begins June 5 and takes effect across Pennsylvania.
The legislation came after Paul Miller’s mother advocated for a crackdown on distracted driving after her son was killed in a horror crash in 2010.
The 21-year-old’s car was smashed by a tractor-trailer driver who was looking at his phone and veered into the wrong lane.
In honor of Miller’s death, cops are now making it illegal to touch a cell phone at any point when you’re behind the wheel.
That includes reading texts, scrolling, social media, or even holding your phone while stopped in traffic.
Myles Snyder of the Pennsylvania State Police said that using a cell phone behind the wheel has now been deemed a primary offense.
“If you’re using [an] interactive mobile device while stopped in traffic, it’s considered use and you’re considered driving. The law will apply to you,” Snyder told NBC affiliate WICU.
The only exceptions are for emergency 911 calls or if the device is connected to Bluetooth or voice assist.
The law targets one of the leading causes of crashes, distracted driving.
Instructors at Transportation Solutions, a driving school in Erie, say the danger is real and fast-moving.
“If it takes five seconds to read a text message, at 55 miles per hour, in five seconds, your car travels the length of a football field,” said owner Derek MacArthur.
Transportation Solutions will now include the new law in its curriculum to better prepare drivers.
Drivers caught using their phones won’t face a fine right away.
Instead, police will issue written warnings during the first year of enforcement.
Starting June 2026, violators will be slapped with a $50 fine.
What defines ‘distracted driving’?
Distracted driving claims lives every year nationwide, and it’s 100% preventable
However, many drivers assume that distracted driving is limited to using their phone while behind the wheel.
While using a phone to text, call, send emails, scroll through or post to social media, and make or accept video calls is illegal nationwide, other behaviors can be just as distracting – and dangerous.
Other behaviors that distract drivers:
- Adjusting the radio or GPS
- Applying makeup in visor mirrors
- Eating and drinking, as it takes one or both hands from the wheel
- Reaching into the backseat to grab personal items
- Rummaging through a purse, glove box, or center console
Thankfully, driving distracted can be prevented. Here are some proven tactics to stay focused:
- Put your phone in “Do Not Disturb” or “Driving Mode,” as it temporarily pauses notifications, but will push a call or text through if urgent
- If distraction is difficult to avoid, put the phone in a safe place, like a purse, glove box, center console, or back seat
- If a text message or call needs to be sent or made, pull over and park
- Give the phone to a passenger when applicable to send a text or make a call
- Be a role model – practicing safe driving in front of impressionable passengers helps pass along safe behaviors
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Connecticut Department of Transportation
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In states like Maine, texting while driving can cost you $250 on the first offense. Elsewhere, fines start at $100.
In others, the penalty starts at $100
Massachusetts rolled out its “hands-free” law in 2020, banning texting while driving. Most other states have similar rules in place
But despite strict rules and rising crash deaths, thousands still pick up their phones while driving.
Distracted driving killed more than 3,200 people in 2023, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Apple launched its “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature in 2017 to help cut down on phone-related distractions behind the wheel.
It blocks notifications while the car is in motion and can automatically turn on when driving is detected.