PA Moves To Ban All Cell Phone Use While Driving

HARRISBURG, PA — A new bill expanding the existing ban on texting while driving while also increasing penalties has passed with bipartisan support in the Pennsylvania state Senate.

Senators voted 37-11 on Thursday to prohibit any use of hand-held cell phones, citing the rise in distracted driving deaths and the connection between accidents and cell phone usage.

“This legislation highlights the dangers cell phones have created for drivers and the potential lives that could be saved with awareness and prevention,” State Sen. Rosemary Brown (R-40) said in a statement. “It is needed as we are extremely behind in Pennsylvania to create more responsible behaviors while utilizing a mobile wireless devices behind the wheel of a vehicle."

Senate Bill 37 now proceeds to the state House of Representatives, where it must pass in order to reach Gov. Josh Shapiro's desk to be signed into law.

The bill would still allow the use of a Bluetooth or speakerphone, but expressly prohibits the use of hands directly on the phone. Texting while driving had already been banned in the state since 2012, but previous legislation still allowed drivers to push a single button for music, GPS usage, and other simple functions.

The new bill cracks down on those potential loopholes, and also prohibits use of the phone while the car is stopped, either in traffic or at a traffic or stop signal.

Brown said that the bill mandates law enforcement to issue warnings for violations for the first year of the new rules being in place.

Advocates cited a AAA study that found 87.5 percent of drivers believe distracted driving is the greatest threat to motorists on the road.