Cellphone fines for drivers begin today

Police have been limited to warnings under Paul Miller’s Law for the past year.

Starting today, police can begin issuing fines to anyone caught holding their cellphones while driving.

Paul Miller’s Law was signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro last year, but included a provision that police could issue only warnings for the first year the law was in force. They can now issue a fine of $50, which could lead to more than $200 in court fees and other costs.

Pennsylvania State Police Tpr. and Public Information Officer Kalee Barnhart said warnings have been standard practice since the law was signed last year.

“The enforcement of Paul Miller’s law will be conducted in the same manner as our other traffic laws,” Barnhart said. “Our troopers, they’ll continue to focus on education and voluntary compliance, but they will take appropriate enforcement action when these violations are observed.”

Barnhart explained that Paul Miller’s Law makes it a primary offense for drivers to use a handheld mobile device while driving, even when a car is temporarily stopped in traffic or at a red light. A primary offense means police can pull over a driver without any other suspected violations.

As an example, for those 18 or older, the seat belt law is a secondary offense, meaning police can issue a citation for it only if they’ve stopped the driver for another reason. For those under 18, the seat belt law is a primary offense.

“The law serves as an important reminder that safe driving requires a driver’s full attention,” Barnhart said. “So we’re just asking them to put down their phones and do not drive distracted.”

Rostraver Police Chief Scott Sokol they’ll be closely monitoring for any violators today.

“We’re going to dedicate a car Friday to it, and we’re going to be out and enforcing it,” Sokol said. “Texting and driving, distracted driving is very dangerous, and it is widely abused as we speak right now.

“We have a lot of people out there that are pedestrians, riding bikes and we can’t afford to take our eyes off the road while operating a vehicle to use a phone.”

Since the law was signed, Sokol said his department has been issuing a routine amount of warnings to violators.

“Distracted driving creates a lot of accidents on our highways, and by taking the time to become hands free, we can hopefully lessen those and make it a safer place for everybody in the community,” Sokol added.

The law still allows hands-free cellphone use. It also allows for exceptions when a driver is calling for police or medical assistance at crash scenes or other emergencies.

Monessen Police Chief David Yuhasz agreed, stating that the new law is for the well being and safety of everyone. He noted that the namesake of the law is a reminder on why nobody should use their phones while driving.

“You’re taking your eyes off the road, and depending on the environment or what’s happening around you, you could cause a collision,” Yuhasz said. “That’s why it’s called Paul Miller’s Law. He was tragically killed because of someone with distracted driving, and it’s probably not the only case out there of that incident, but it just promotes safety. Even in the law, you can’t even operate your device if stopped at a red light or a stop sign.”

The law was named for Miller, a 21-year-old Scranton native who was killed in 2010 by a distracted tractor-trailer driver in a head-on crash in Monroe County.

The law does not carry any points toward a license suspension for most drivers. Commercial driver’s license holders, however, will have a citation under the law added to their driving record with PennDOT.

Last year, PennDOT recorded 1,393 work zone crashes in the state, leaving 12 people dead and 49 seriously injured. PennDOT also stated that 93 workers have been killed at road construction sites. Under state law, the fines for traffic violation in active work zones are automatically doubled.

Almost 9,800 citations for distracted driving were issued in the state over the past five years. There were almost 1,800 citations issued across Pennsylvania last year, a drop from a high of more than 2,100 cases statewide in 2021.

TribLive contributed to this article.