Gov. Shapiro signs bill allowing police to ticket distracted drivers

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WBNG) -- Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed Senate Bill 37 into law on Wednesday.

The bill, known as “Paul Miller’s Law,” makes Pennsylvania the 29th state to ban distracted driving. The bipartisan bill will allow law enforcement to ticket people who are using handheld devices while driving.

The law’s namesake comes from Paul Miller Jr., who was killed by a distracted truck driver in 2010. His mother, Eileen Miller, spoke about her journey advocating for the bill to be drafted and signed into state law.

”Finally after 12 years we did it,” she remarked. “It’s been a long road, I never thought it would take this long.”

Miller noted that she had gone to distracted driving summits in other states knowing that those states were passing similar laws. She remarked, “I kept coming back to you saying this is what they’re doing why can’t Pennsylvania do it?”

The bill does not prohibit the use of GPS systems, hands-free devices or devices exclusively used for emergency notification purposes.

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