A new law signed yesterday by Governor Shapiro aims to make roads safer for Western Pennsylvania drivers and motorists across the Commonwealth.
Senate Bill 37, better known as Paul Miller’s Law, prohibits the use of hand-held devices while driving. The law is in memory of Paul Miller, Jr., who was killed in a motor-vehicle accident in Monroe County in 2010 as the result of a distracted driver who reached for his cell phone while driving. Along with the ban on devices, the law will also work to prevent bias in policing by requiring law enforcement to collect data on drivers pulled over during traffic stops, including race, ethnicity and gender. That data will be made publicly available in an annual report.
There are some exceptions to the law, such as using a GPS device, alerting emergency responders, and making phone calls and listening to music via a hands-free option like Bluetooth, devices that are integrated into the vehicle, and devices used by emergency responders and commercial drivers that are allowed under federal law.
In the state house, State Representative Jim Struzzi voted in favor of the law, while Brian Smith voted against it. Senator Joe Pittman approved the bill at the Senate level.
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