A piece of legislation signed into law earlier this summer aims to ban distracted driving in Pennsylvania.

According to the governor’s office, the bill makes Pennsylvania the 29th state to ban distracted driving and it’s been called “Paul Miller’s Law,” named after a man killed in a Monroe County accident caused by a distracted driver reaching for their phone.

According to a legislative memo by the bill’s prime sponsor, Republican Sen. Rosemary Brown (Lackawanna/Monroe/Wayne) the bill implements a series of changes for how drivers can use their phones.

First of all, driving a vehicle “while holding or supporting any electronic wireless device” is now a primary offense, meaning motorists can be pulled over if the action is observed.

Under the law, motorists can only use their phone when the vehicle is parked. GPS use is permitted but “the device must not be held or supported with the body.

Enhanced criminal penalties as well as education efforts are also included.

“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 – and too many families that have an empty seat at the dinner table because of distracted driving,” Governor Josh Shapiro said.

“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. This law also increases transparency and ensures accountability at traffic stops while providing crucial public safety data to keep our roads safe.”

Drivers can still use their phones to alert emergency responders and to make phone calls, use a GPS, and listen to music, if they are using hands-free technology.

“The AAA Traffic Safety Culture Index found that most drivers (87.5 percent ) believe that distracted driving has outpaced all other traffic-related issues as a growing safety concern and virtually all drivers (96.8 percent) view texting or emailing while driving a serious threat,” Brown wrote in the memo. “Listen to their collective voice as an individual holding their phone and viewing it, is unable to simultaneously watch the road, too.

“Not only is the driver of that car in jeopardy, every other motorist is, as well. Do you want your child driving on the same roadway as this motorist who continually thrashes about their lane, drifting from side-to-side while overcorrecting into your lane? That swerving driver may get home fine today, but tomorrow it could be your family in the crosshairs of their vehicle.”

PennDOT data shows that distracted driving was the leading cause of crashes in Pennsylvania in 2023. The number of traffic deaths rose 2.25 percent from 2022.

According to the Governor’s office, the bill will also “work to prevent bias in policing by requiring law enforcement to collect data on drivers pulled over during traffic stops, including race, ethnicity, and gender.”

The bill passed both chambers of the General Assembly with bipartisan support through Rep. Kathy Rapp opposed the legislation. Sen. Scott Hutchinson supported the legislation when it was first approved in the Senate but voted in opposition on concurrence after House amendments.