adding error msg to prepared statements - php

Question

I'm trying to convert mysql_query over to prepared statements, but it's failing silently and I'm not sure where I'm going wrong. Here's my proc.php page for a form:
$db = new PDO('mysql:host=XXX;dbname=XXX;charset=utf8', 'XXX', 'XXX');
if ($_POST['submit']) {
$type = $_POST['type'];
$auth1_lname = trim($_POST['auth1_lname']);
$auth1_fname = trim($_POST['auth1_fname']);
$today = date("Y-m-d");
$stmt = $db->prepare("INSERT INTO table_base ( type , publ_date , auth1_lname , auth1_fname )
VALUES (:type, :today, :auth1_lname , :auth1_fname) ");
$stmt->bindParam(':type', $type);
$stmt->bindParam(':today', $today);
$stmt->bindParam(':auth1_lname', $auth1_lname);
$stmt->bindParam(':auth1_fname', $auth1_fname);
$stmt->execute();
$bid = $db->lastInsertId();
$subj_area = $_POST['subj_area'];
$subject = 'subj_area';
$subjs = '';
$stmt = $db->prepare("INSERT INTO table_meta (bid, key, value) VALUES (:bid, :key, :value)");
$stmt->bindParam(':bid', $bid);
$stmt->bindParam(':key', $subject);
$stmt->bindParam(':value', $subjs, PDO::PARAM_STR);
foreach($subj_area as $subjs) {
$stmt->execute();
}
$geo_area = $_POST['geo_area'];
$geograph = 'geo_area';
$geos = '';
$stmt = $db->prepare("INSERT INTO table_meta (bid, key, value) VALUES (:bid, :key, :value)");
$stmt->bindParam(':bid', $bid);
$stmt->bindParam(':key', $geograph);
$stmt->bindParam(':value', $geos, PDO::PARAM_STR);
foreach($geo_area as $geos) {
$stmt->execute();
}
}
I'm not sure I'm even doing this right.
I see comments elsewhere on SO that your PHP must be this tall to use PDO, but php.net's page on PDO doesn't list PHP requirements. Am I failing b/c my PHP5 host doesn't have the right drivers?
Is there a way to add a die(mysql_error()) so at least it wouldn't be a silent failure?