Hold the Phone, Pennsylvania! Or Maybe Don’t…
Starting June 5, 2025, “Paul Miller’s Law” makes it illegal to handle a cell phone or any “interactive mobile device” while driving—even when you are stopped at a red light or crawling in traffic. That includes:
- Holding or propping a phone with your hand (or elbow, shoulder, knee, etc.)
- Pressing more than one button to dial, answer, or scroll.
- Fishing for the device in a manner that requires you to leave the seat belted, upright driving position.
Take note: police can stop you for this alone—it’s a primary offense. During a one-year grace period, offenders will be penalized with written warnings; beginning on June 5, 2026, the penalty jumps to a summary citation with a minimum fine of $50.
Paul Miller’s Law didn’t appear out of thin air. It’s the result of 15 years of data, advocacy, and heartbreak. The statute is named for 21-year-old Paul Miller Jr., who was killed on July 5, 2010, when the driver of a tractor-trailer reached for a phone and crossed the median, causing a head-on collision. Paul’s mother, Eileen spent the next decade lobbying lawmakers and educating the public until Senate Bill 37 passed in 2024.
PennDOT reports 11,262 distracted driver crashes and 65 deaths in 2023 alone. That equates to roughly one crash every 47 minutes. Distracted driving now eclipses alcohol as the leading human factor of crashes in Pennsylvania.
What does this mean for Digital Forensics?
- More Phones in Evidence Lockers: Devices should be properly secured as soon as possible to establish a chain-of-custody and ensure preservation.
- Narrower Timelines: In Senate Bill 37, the definition of “use” hinges on a single extra screen-tap. Investigations will require millisecond-level timestamp analysis (lock/unlock events, Bluetooth handshake logs, and application usage).
- Hopefully, fewer losses stemming from distracted driving cases: I’ve sifted through enough crash-scene phone data to know that seconds of distraction can rewrite lives. My advice: mount it, mute it, or move it to the glove box.
Here are some extra tips to stay safe (and hands-free!):
- Single-Tap Rule: If it takes more than one poke, it can wait.
- “Reach” Test: If a T-rex couldn’t grab it without unbuckling, neither should you.
- The Passenger DJ Clause: Whoever rides shotgun controls the music. If you’re solo, rediscover radio; the commercials build character.
- Voice-Assistant Vow: If you must message, let Siri or Google do the typing. Speech-to-text bloopers will make for some great icebreakers later.
- Stick a note on the dashboard: “Phones in Park.” Kids will police you like hall monitors.
Recommended Resources
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