What to know about Pa.’s new ban of handheld phone use while driving
Pennsylvania was the only state in the region that allowed drivers to talk using a handheld phone while driving.
Pennsylvania has banned drivers from talking on a handheld device while driving, under a new state law to take effect next year.
Pennsylvania was the only state in the region that allowed drivers to talk on the phone while driving. Here’s what you need to know about the new law, its penalties, and more.
What does Pa.’s new cellphone ban entail?
Drivers cannot talk on a handheld phone, text, record video, take pictures, play games, send emails, or use social media under the new law. Texting while driving was already banned in the state.
More specifically, the use of an electronic device that requires it to be held or requires pressing more than one button is prohibited.
Drivers are allowed to use a handheld device while driving only in an emergency to communicate with law enforcement or emergency services, according to the new law.
Why the ban?
The ban of the use of any handheld device while driving is intended to get people to put their phone down, according to the bill’s author, State Sen. Rosemary Brown (R., Monroe). Lawmakers hope to decrease the amount of distracted drivers on Pennsylvania’s roads.
About 3,308 people died in 2022 due to distracted driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This is about 8% of all driving deaths that year, which totals 42,514, the agency reported.
Can I still use hands-free phone options?
Yes. Drivers are encouraged to use hands-free options, such as CarPlay, so drivers remain focused on the road.
What are the penalties, and when does it take effect?
Drivers can be fined a $50 summary offense if found to be using their phone while driving.
Gov. Josh Shapiro recently signed the bill into law, but it won’t take effect until June 2025.
What other states ban the use of phones while driving?
All of Pennsylvania’s border states ban the use of a handheld device while driving, including New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia.
Thirty-four states and Washington ban handheld cellphone use for all drivers.
What else does the law do?
The new law includes a reporting requirement for police for all traffic stops, which is a long-sought change by the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus to track statistics of whether drivers are being racially profiled.
State Police and all local police departments are required to report all of their traffic stops, as well as certain factors, such as a person’s perceived race or ethnicity, their gender, whether they search, and the outcome of the stop. However, police departments have until December 2025 to comply to the new law.
It is also required that anyone seeking a learner’s permit be taught about the dangers of distracted driving, and that the permit test includes a related question.