The Gov. of Pennsylvania signed a bill into law this week that is designed to make roads safer by cutting down distracted driving with new regulations on what you can do with your devices.
The law states that if you're behind the wheel of a car, your phone can't be in your hands. Its goal is to make you focus on the road.
Eileen Miller’s son died 14 years ago because of distracted driving and she has spent the last 12 years trying to prevent any other mother from going through her pain.
"Nobody should have to lose a child, a brother, a sister, a mother, or father because of a cell phone," said Miller to CBS News.
The bill is therefore nicknamed "Paul Miller's Law," after Miller’s son.
This law bans any driver from using their devices for calls, texts or browsing. Devices are to be used in a hands-free manner.
"They almost have like the iPad on the dashboard. It's safer, you can talk on your phone that way, plus if you are distracted, just wait until you get to where you need to get," said Seneca Weatherspoon of Brownsville, Fayette County, to CBS News.
Drivers in western Pennsylvania say they routinely find people on their phones while driving down the road.
The signing makes Pennsylvania the 29th state to ban distracted driving.
"We stand in a position to make our roadways safer and do so in a way that is transparent and fair," said Shapiro.
“I whispered in the ear of my son at the morgue, who I couldn’t even identify, that I would fight for change," said Eileen Miller. And today, it’s Paul Miller’s Law. I did it, Paul.”
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), more than 11,800 crashes and 80 deaths were caused by distracted driving in 2022.
The bill will go through a 12-month grace period when police can give written warnings to drivers. Starting in 2025, anyone who is caught violating the law will face a summary offense and a $50 fine.
Source: CBS News, Fox43.com
