Pennsylvania Begins Ticketing Drivers Under Paul Miller’s Law

Pennsylvania Begins Ticketing Drivers Under Paul Miller’s Law

Pennsylvania drivers can now be cited for holding and using a cell phone behind the wheel, as the warning period under Paul Miller’s Law has ended and full enforcement is now underway.

Beginning June 5, police across the state can issue a $50 fine, plus court costs and fees, to drivers caught using a handheld device while driving — even if the vehicle is stopped in traffic, sitting at a red light or otherwise temporarily delayed on the road.

The law makes distracted driving a primary offense, meaning officers can stop motorists solely for that violation. “If an officer sees this, you can be stopped just for this offense,” Ross Township Deputy Chief Brian Kohlhepp said.

The measure, signed into law two years ago, is named for Paul Miller Jr., who was killed in 2010 in Monroe County when a distracted driver reached for a phone and struck him. His mother, Eileen Miller, spent years pushing for stricter protections and said the law was never about punishment alone.

“This law has never, ever, ever been about punishment. Never. It’s always been about saving lives,” Miller said. “I never want another parent to have to go to the morgue to try to identify their child by something so preventable as distracted driving. My son did not have to die that day.”

Drivers are still allowed to use hands-free technology for calls, navigation and music, and they may use a phone to contact emergency responders in dangerous situations.

The law also carries stronger criminal consequences in the most serious cases. According to reporting on the new enforcement phase, drivers convicted of homicide by vehicle while using a phone behind the wheel can face an additional five years in prison.

After a year of warnings, Pennsylvania has now moved into the penalty phase — a shift state officials and advocates say is meant to change behavior before another preventable death forces the lesson again.