April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, which is dedicated to reminding drivers about the importance of paying attention behind the wheel.

And in just a few months, distracted driving will become a traffic offense in the state.

Pennsylvania will become the 29th state to ban distracted driving when Paul Miller’s Law goes into effect in June. The law, named after a man killed in a 2010 distracted driving crash, allows police to ticket drivers using a handheld cellphone in the car, even when stopped in traffic or at a light.

The state already prohibits texting while driving, but the new law takes it a step further.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration defines distracted driving as “any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system — anything that takes your attention away from the task of safe driving.”

And there is real danger. In 2022, the most recent figures available, more than 3,300 people were killed in distracted driving crashes.

Using a phone, whether looking at an alert, picking it up to take a call or — worst of all — sending a text are among the most dangerous, and the most common.

In a news release about Distracted Driving Awareness Month, PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll urged people to be safe.

“Your choices behind the wheel can change lives forever,” Carroll said. “National Distracted Driving Awareness Month is the perfect time for all motorists to commit to putting the phone down. Please make the safe choice and never drive distracted.”

We wholeheartedly agree — keep the roads safe for everyone and pay attention when driving.

— JK