Man's Sudden Death Prompts New Law In PA

HARRISBURG, PA — Paul Miller was just 21 years old when he was killed on July 5, 2010. Now, 15 years later, a new law will be enacted in his name.

Miller was driving on Route 33 in Hamilton Township on July 5, 2010 when a tractor trailer driver was distracted and crossed the center grass divider of the highway, crashing head-on into Miller's car and another van. He died from his injuries.

His mother, Eileen Miller, wanted to make sure the East Stroudsburg University student, who was studying sociology and criminal justice and had a promising life and career ahead of him, did not die in vain.

“Nearly 15 years ago, two Dunmore state troopers knocked on my door to tell me that my son was killed,” Eileen Miller said. “My son did everything right – he was killed by someone else’s unsafe choices behind the wheel."

Paul's mother became a steady national advocate of the legislation in the years following his death, and eventually worked with State Sen. Rosemary Brown to create a distracted driving bill and bring it through the Pennsylvania legislature and to Gov. Josh Shapiro's desk.

It was signed into law in 2024.

What the new law does

The major new distracted driving law bans hand-held cell phone use while behind the wheel.

The new legislation, dubbed "Paul Miller's Law," is enforceable beginning on June 5.

The new law expands on Pennsylvania's existing ban on texting while driving. It will now be illegal for drivers to use mobile devices to use devices in any way, even while stopped at a red light or stuck in traffic.

“Paul Miller’s Law is about saving lives,” PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said in a statement. “Your choices behind the wheel can change lives forever. Make the safe choice. Put your phone out of reach and don’t text and drive. One text, one glance down – it could kill someone. And it’s not worth it.”

While the law will go into effect June 5, police will only issue written warnings to violators for the first year. Summary citations with larger penalties will begin on June 6, 2026.

What's legal and what's not under the new law

For drivers, any use of a cell phone is now prohibited. That does not just mean texting, which was already banned, but also using a phone to change and search for music, take a photo or video, input GPS directions, make phone calls, search the Internet, and pretty much anything else.

Drivers can, however, use their phones to make an emergency call to first responders. And if they have a hands-free device, they can use it to access their GPS, music, and more.

Officials say that troopers will be immediately on the lookout for violators.

“The Pennsylvania State Police will enforce the new law to its full extent,” said PSP Commissioner Colonel Christopher Paris. “Distracted driving is not a minor offense. Just one second of inattention can result in irreversible consequences. We urge all drivers to stay focused behind the wheel.”

Cell phone usage while driving is "habit-forming," authorities said. They urged drivers to consider activating their phone's do not disturb feature while driving, or putting it in the glove box or trunk for the duration of your trip.

Other tips include pulling over parking the car to respond to urgent messages, or asking a passenger to be the "designated texter" while behind the wheel.

The data behind the decision

Distracted driving has long been lethal, and numbers have only gotten worse as cell phones have become more prevalent and cell phone technology more powerful and pervasive.

There were 9,950 crashes involving distracted drivers in Pennsylvania in 2024, leading to more than 6,000 injuries and 49 deaths.

And those numbers are believed to be conservative, according to PennDOT, as many drivers are reluctant to admit they were distracted at the time of a crash.

Cell phones are a leading contributor to distracted driving, but anything that takes a driver's hands or attention away from the wheel can be just as lethal. Driver behaviors are responsible for 83 percent of crashes in Pennsylvania, according to state data.

"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," Eileen Miller added.

Preventing bias

The law also contains provisions that officials hope will prevent bias in law enforcement initiating stops and issuing fines and citations.

The Legislative Black Caucus worked on the addendum, which requires law enforcement to collect data on all drivers pulled over during any traffic stop, including race, ethnicity, and gender.

"We will not sacrifice justice and the freedoms of historically marginalized and overpoliced communities in the name of public safety," State Rep. Napoleon Nelson said in a statement. "There is no safety there. Nor will we cede our responsibility to protect our residents and bind the hands of law enforcement strictly in the name of civil rights. There is no civility there."

The data will be made available to the public as part of an annual report, officials said.

Related: New Law For All PA Drivers Starts Next Month, Violators To Face Fines