‘I will fight for change’: Advocates weigh in on law banning phones while driving, effective now
By ALLI SATTERFIELD | Staff writer | Jun 5, 2026
Senate Bill 37 goes into effect Friday, meaning Pennsylvania drivers can be fined $50 for any use of a handheld electronic device, and advocates with Lancaster ties are celebrating the legislation as a step towards eliminating distracted driving.
The legislation, known as Paul Miller’s law, will strengthen a previous state law that prohibited sending, reading and writing text-based communications while a vehicle is in motion. The new law prohibits all use of interactive mobile devices while driving, even when the vehicle is temporarily stopped due to traffic, red lights and other delays.
Paul Miller’s Law was named after a 21-year-old man who was killed by a distracted driver in Monroe County in 2010. The law was championed by distracted driving advocates, including his mother, Eileen Miller, and Republican state Sen. Rosemary Brown, who represents the 40th District.
Eileen Miller is eager to see how the new restrictions will protect Pennsylvanians and change distracted driving statistics.
“The reason I’m crying now is that I’m happy,” Eileen Miller said. “My legislation came to fruition, and I know that it’s going to save lives; I know the numbers are going to go down.”
There were 54 fatalities from distracted driving in Pennsylvania in 2025, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. But, the department believes distracted driving statistics are underreported, since drivers may be reluctant to admit they were distracted at the time of a crash.
While the law’s enactment has been a cause for celebration, advocates feel that passing Paul Miller’s Law was simply a good step in addressing the crisis they see in distracted driving. They feel there’s still more to be done.
‘Dangerous’ and ‘devastating’
Jacy Good, a Lancaster native who now lives in New York, was on her way home from college in Allentown in 2008 when she was injured in a car accident. A distracted driver hit her family’s car, leaving her with a traumatic brain injury and killing both of her parents.
Good has felt the length of the battle for distracted driving legislation, which she began advocating for in 2008.
Good’s friend encouraged her to use her experience to try to pass legislation. She cold-contacted a Democratic state legislator, now-Gov. Josh Shapiro, for help. They weren’t able to get a law passed in 2009, so Good is happy about the more recent progress.
She said she thinks that the law will make a difference on Pennsylvania roads, and she attributes the law passing now to a cultural shift. Good hopes people are truly recognizing how dangerous and “selfish” distracted driving is, but she wishes the Pennsylvania law had “a little more teeth” to punish those who are ticketed.
Good referenced stricter laws in Canada – where distracted drivers lose their license for three days – New York and New Jersey. She suggested that Pennsylvania take inspiration from them to set a precedent for what’s right and what’s wrong, a distinction Good is able to make clearly.
“I wish every single state outlawed handheld and hands-free phones [when driving],” Good said. “The research has been around for a long time, and we know how very dangerous and how devastating it is – but it’s got to come with education – I think that’s the biggest part.”