The measure, known as Paul Miller's Law, prohibits drivers from holding a cell phone while operating a vehicle, even when stopped in traffic or at a red light. The law follows a one-year warning period.
Paul Miller, a 21-year-old from Scranton, was killed in a 2010 crash caused by a distracted tractor-trailer driver. His mother spent more than a decade advocating for a hands-free requirement, and the bill was signed into law last June.
"The ban that was already in place was a texting while driving ban. That went into effect many years ago," said Jana Tidwell, an AAA spokesperson. "Pennsylvania did not have a handheld cell phone ban until Paul Miller's Law went into effect a year ago, again, with the waiting period, and then citations begin tomorrow. Pennsylvania was the last state in this area."
The new enforcement marks a significant shift for drivers who may have treated the warning period as lenient. Officials say that grace period is now over.
The law's supporters hope the change will reduce distracted driving and prevent tragedies like the one that claimed Miller's life.