The Pennsylvania governor has signed new legislation that will prohibit drivers from holding their cell phones while behind the wheel. The law, named ‘Paul Miller’s Law’, is named after a Pennsylvania man who was killed in a road accident caused by a distracted driver in 2010.
The new law, which is now the 29th in the state, allows police to issue tickets to drivers who are found to be using their hand-held devices for navigation, making phone calls, or listening to music. Drivers can still use their phones to alert emergency responders.
However, the use of hand-held devices while driving is still permitted when it is for safety reasons or when the driver has enabled hands-free technology.
Speaking about the law, Governor Josh Shapiro said: “I have met too many people with injuries they’ll live with for the rest of their lives because they were hit by a distracted driver.”
“This commonsense, bipartisan legislation — passed and signed into law in honor of Paul Miller’s legacy — empowers our state and local police to stop distracted driving and make our roads and communities safer.
“This law also increases transparency and ensures accountability at traffic stops while providing crucial public safety data to keep our roads safe.”
The law also requires police to collect data on the gender, race, and ethnicity of drivers who are pulled over during traffic stops and to make that data public annually.
The new law is expected to significantly reduce the number of road accidents caused by distracted drivers, which is hoped will lead to fewer fatalities and injuries.
Source: www.pa.gov