Credit: PA State Police
Pennsylvania State Police wasted little time enforcing the state’s new hands-free driving law, issuing hundreds of citations during a targeted enforcement effort just days after the warning period expired.
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According to The Reading Eagle, troopers conducted “Operation Hands Off” from June 8 through June 10, 2026, a statewide initiative focused on drivers using hand-held mobile devices behind the wheel. According to state police, troopers issued 694 citations and 308 warnings for violations of Paul Miller’s Law during the three-day campaign.
The enforcement effort also resulted in 6,013 additional traffic citations, 4,090 warnings for other traffic offenses and 98 DUI arrests statewide, according to police.
Paul Miller’s Law officially became enforceable on June 5, ending a one-year grace period during which drivers received warnings rather than citations. During that warning period, from June 5, 2025 through June 5, 2026, state police issued 1,616 warnings for violations of the law.
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The legislation prohibits drivers from using hand-held interactive mobile devices while operating a vehicle, including while temporarily stopped in traffic or at a red light. Drivers may still use hands-free technology for phone calls, navigation and music, and may use a mobile device to contact emergency services. The law also permits device use when a vehicle has been safely pulled off the roadway and brought to a complete stop.
Violations carry a $50 fine, in addition to court costs and other fees.
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The law is named after Paul Miller Jr., who was killed in a Monroe County crash in 2010 when another driver became distracted while reaching for a cellphone. Pennsylvania’s existing ban on texting while driving remains in effect and prohibits motorists from sending, reading or writing text-based communications while a vehicle is in motion.
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