Pennsylvania Legislature to Consider Limiting Cell Phone Usage for Drivers

October 2007

Pennsylvania drivers – your days of texting behind the wheel and driving while holding your cell phone may be numbered. State legislators are currently reviewing a series of bills including a PA hands-free law, a ban on sending text messages while driving, and other attempts to cut down on the number one cause of car crashes – distracted drivers.

For months, rumors have swirled among Pennsylvania residents that a new law has been set into place banning the use of hand-held cell phones while driving. The truth is that the Pennsylvania hands-free law, PA House Bill 1827, has only been proposed and not yet passed by a vote. Over 5,700 car accidents were linked to hand-held cell phone use in Pennsylvania from 2002 to 2006.

Another proposed bill would prohibit text messaging behind the wheel of a moving vehicle, including Blackberry activity. Another proposal would prohibit school bus drivers from eating, drinking, and making cell phone calls while driving. Taking that one step further, the final bill in committee would make any distracted driver activity an illegal secondary offense if a driver is pulled over for a primary offense such as speeding or missing a stop sign.