Fourteen years after a man was killed when a tractor-trailer driver in Monroe County lost control of his rig as he reached for his phone, legislation has become law prohibiting the use of hand-held devices while driving.
On Wednesday, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Senate Bill 37, known as Paul Miller’s Law, officially making Pennsylvania the 29th state in the nation to ban distracted driving.
Miller was killed when the tractor-trailer crossed a grass median and crashed head-on into his car, along with a van with 12 people in it. He was an East Stroudsburg University senior and was just 21 years old at the time of his death.
“When Paul passed away, when unfortunately, two Dunmore state troopers came knocking on my door to tell me that my son was killed — I did not know it was distracted driving at the time," Eileen Miller, Paul Miller Jr.’s mother, said during the bill signing. “My son did everything right — and somebody else was the one who was the cause of my son's demise. I whispered in the ear of my son at the morgue — who I couldn't even identify, I didn't even know that it was him, he was that bad — but I whispered in his ear that when I found out what had caused that crash, I would fight for change.
"We found out later it was distracted driving. I held that honor to him — and today is Paul Miller's law,” Miller added. “I’ve gotten it done, Paul, I did it. This is for every family that is in Pennsylvania that doesn't have to have two state troopers knocking on their door to tell them that their loved one was killed by something so preventable as distracted driving”
Now a primary offense
Paul Miller’s Law lets police issue a ticket when they observe a driver using a hand-held cell phone while driving, with each fine at $50.
Previously, hand-held cell phone use was a secondary offense in the state — meaning an officer couldn’t stop a driver based solely on a phone being in their hand.
Under the new law, drivers still will be allowed to use their phones, use a GPS, listen to music and more — but only if they are using hands-free technology.
“I have met too many people with injuries they’ll live with for the rest of their lives because they were hit by a distracted driver," Shapiro said. "And too many families that have an empty seat at the dinner table because of distracted driving.”
"This commonsense, bipartisan legislation — passed and signed into law in honor of Paul Miller’s legacy — empowers our state and local police to stop distracted driving and make our roads and communities safer," Shapiro added. “This law also increases transparency and ensures accountability at traffic stops while providing crucial public safety data to keep our roads safe.
"This is an example of what we can accomplish when we work together — senators and representatives from both parties came together to pass common sense legislation that will save lives across Pennsylvania.”
Crashes, deaths on the rise
According to the state Transportation Department, distracted driving was the leading cause of car crashes in Pennsylvania in 2023, with traffic deaths rising 2.25% compared with 2022.
The report showed 1,209 deaths in motor vehicle crashes, up from 1,179 the prior year.
There were more than 11,262 distracted driving crashes overall in 2023, compared with 8,330 alcohol-related crashes, PennDOT’s data shows.
“In 2023, there were over 11,000 crashes in Pennsylvania that involved a distracted driver,” PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said. “Driving requires 100 percent of your attention, 100 percent of the time, and this bill — which I was proud to support as Minority Chair of the House Transportation Committee — is an important step forward in discouraging distracted driving and keeping everyone safe on the road."
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