Bill Banning Handheld Cell Phones While Driving Heads To PA Governor

HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania will soon become the 27th state to ban the use of handheld cell phones while driving.

The state House of Representatives on Wednesday voted 126-74 to approve a Senate change to the legislation and send the bill to Gov. Josh Shapiro's desk to sign.

The ban on interactive mobile devices would expand on a state law passed in 2012 that prohibits texting while driving. Motorists will be issued a $50 fine for violating the law, which won't go into effect for a year. Until then, authorities will only issue drivers written warnings.

A spokesperson for Shapiro confirmed the governor plans to sign the bill into law.

"I've met too many families that have an empty seat at the dinner table because of distracted driving. I've met too many people with injuries that they're going to live with for the rest of their lives because they were hit by a distracted motorist," Shapiro said in an interview last month with WILK. "This is common sense."

According to the bill's text, an "interactive mobile device" is held with at least one hand or a part of the body that is dialed or answered by pressing more than one button.

Motorists could only use their handheld devices while driving to call 911 or first responders, according to the bill. The law would not apply to a device used only for navigation or if the driver has pulled off the road and stopped their vehicle.

The bill also promotes education efforts by requiring minors to learn about distracted driving and have at least one question on the driver’s exam be about distracted driving.

Once signed into law, the Keystone State would join 26 others — including every state that borders Pennsylvania — in banning handheld cell phones while driving.

"The data shows that distracted driving is the cause for more crashes than driving under the influence now," Rep. Ed Neilson, chair of the House Transportation Committee, said in a news release. “In the past, we confronted DUIs with harsher penalties because we recognized the danger it caused.”

Neilson continued, "I’m happy we did the work to get this bill passed and treated it with the same amount of alarm."