What is Paul Miller’s Law in Pennsylvania?

According to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed a new cell phone law, named after Paul Miller, that took effect on June 5, 2025. The law bans drivers from using hand-held cell phones while driving. The law is named in honor of Paul Miller Jr., a 21-year-old who died in 2010 in a collision with a tractor-trailer due to a distracted driver. Paul’s mother, Eileen Miller, has become a national advocate for tougher driver distraction laws.

What does Paul Miller’s law prohibit?

The law prohibits the use of handheld mobile devices while driving, even when a driver is stopped at a traffic light or a stop sign. Mobile devices include handheld phones, smartphones, PDAs, and portable/mobile computers (and similar devices) that are used to place calls, text, use the Internet, use social media, look at photos and videos, and engage in other electronic/online activities.

Paul Miller’s law is in addition to Pennsylvania’s texting ban that “prohibits drivers from using mobile devices to send, read, or write text-based communications while their vehicle is in motion.”

Between June 5, 2025, and June 5, 2026, law enforcement officers can write warnings to drivers who violate the law. After that period, officers will be able to write summary citations. If a violation of this law causes death, the driver could have five years of prison time added to a homicide by vehicle conviction.

The law applies to private drivers, drivers of commercial vehicles, and Uber and Lyft drivers.

According to PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll, the law is about saving lives. One moment of distraction could cause death or serious injuries. Drivers can still use their phones to notify emergency responders. Drivers may use hands-free/in-vehicle systems and may press no more than a single button; GPS/integrated systems are permitted.

Why is driver distraction dangerous?

Driver distraction involves any activity that takes a driver’s hands off the steering wheel, eyes off the road, and mind away from handling traffic emergencies. Using a cellphone affects all three of these criteria.

By definition, using a mobile phone that is not hands-free means a driver will take one (and probably both) hands off the steering wheel. Drivers who are texting, viewing, or using a mobile device are not looking at the road; they’re looking at their mobile device. If a driver is thinking about what they’re typing, viewing, or saying, they are not focusing on how to handle any emergencies that may arise.

Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys says that “Safe driving can also help reduce the cost of your insurance as insurers factor your accident and driving history into their ratemaking.”

The legislation had overwhelming bipartisan support.

Paul’s mother said that:

My son did everything right – he was killed by someone else’s unsafe choices behind the wheel. This law is for every family in Pennsylvania that doesn’t have to experience two state troopers knocking on their door to tell them that their loved one was killed by distracted driving. Paul Miller’s Law will be a beacon of protection for every driver and passenger in Pennsylvania.

PennDOT data for 2024 showed that there were nearly 10,000 accidents involving a distracted driver in Pennsylvania, causing 49 deaths and more than 6,000 injuries. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania believes that distracted driving statistics are probably higher because many drivers don’t volunteer that they were driving while distracted.

PennDOT’s recommendations for avoiding driver distractions

Some of the ways drivers can avoid distracted driving accidents, related to mobile phone use, include:

• Take the time to pull off the road and park in a safe spot before sending a text, looking at a text, making or receiving a phone call, or using your mobile device for any other reason.
• Have a passenger in your car access your phone for you, so you can drive safely while someone else communicates with people outside of your car.
• Don’t use social media while driving.
• Consider deactivating your phone or placing it somewhere that you can’t access, like the trunk or back seat.

How does Paul Miller’s Law affect personal injury and wrongful death claims?

Our Pittsburgh car accident lawyers hold drivers accountable when their negligence causes an accident. There is no specific requirement that a driver receive a Paul Miller Law warning or citation to file an accident claim. All drivers on any Pittsburgh road have a duty to other drivers, pedestrians, and bicycle riders to drive safely. You can seek damages if a driver breaches that duty in any way that causes injuries to you or the death of a loved one.

Drivers who violate the handheld or texting bans and cause a crash may be liable (often under negligence per se).

At Carmody and Ging Injury & Accident Lawyers, we work to obtain the mobile device records of the driver to show when the driver was using their device and how they were using their device. We also thoroughly question the conduct of the driver, any passengers in the driver’s car or truck, and any witnesses about everything they were doing during their trip that could have been distracting.

We also work with investigators and the police who conduct their own investigations of the accident.

If driver distraction causes your accident, we demand compensation for all your medical expenses (of every type), your income losses, the damage to your car, and your daily physical pain and emotional suffering. If a driver’s use of a mobile phone or device is fatal, we file a wrongful death claim on behalf of the family members. Wrongful death damages include the funeral and burial costs, the loss of financial support from your loved one, and the loss of love, guidance, and comfort your loved one would have provided.

We may seek punitive damages where the evidence shows reckless indifference (for instance, if egregious distraction was combined with other factors).

Please call us or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation. Our Pittsburgh car accident lawyers have decades of experience fighting for accident victims and families.