Pennsylvania will ban all handheld devices while driving starting in June

PENNSYLVANIA - Starting in just a few weeks, anyone driving through Pennsylvania must remember to put their phone down!

What we know:

Pennsylvania will start enforcing its Distracting Driving Law, which bans all interactive mobile devices while driving, on June 5. Here's everything we know:

Which devices will be banned?

The law defines interactive mobile devices as handheld wireless phones, personal digital assistants, smartphones, portable or mobile computers, or similar devices that can be used for voice communication texting, emailing, browsing the Internet, instant messaging, playing games, taking or transmitting images, recording or broadcasting video, creating or sharing social media, or otherwise sending or receiving electronic data.

Can you still make phone calls?

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

The law prohibits using at least one hand or another part of the body to support a mobile device, dialing or answering a mobile device by pressing more than a single button, or reaching for a mobile device that requires the driver to maneuver so that the driver is no longer in a seated driving position, OR restrained by a seat belt.

Does the law include red lights?

Yes, drivers will no longer be able to use handheld devices while driving, even when stopped for traffic or red lights.

When can you use handheld devices?

If you need to use your mobile device, drivers must move to the side of or off the road to a location where their vehicle can safely remain stationary.

The law does allow for emergency use exception if necessary to communicate with a law enforcement official or other emergency service to prevent injury to persons or property.

What are the penalties?

The penalty is a written warning for the first 12 months. However, it escalates to a summary offense with a $50 fine starting on June 5, 2026.

A driver may be sentenced to up to an additional five years in prison if they are convicted of homicide by vehicle and distracted driving.

The backstory:

Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the bill into law on June 5, 2024.

"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," Shapiro said.

The new distracted driving law, known as "Paul Miller's Law," is named in memory of a 21-year-old man who was killed in 2010 by a driver using their phone.