After being at the scene of a motorcycle accident in Dallas, a man asked lawmakers to write a bill calling for mandatory helmets.
In August 2018, Cannon Brown was driving on US-75 in Dallas, when he witnessed a motorcycle accident.
"I was the first person that stopped to help at the accident that took Joe Swim's life," said Brown.
Brown said that Swim was not wearing a helmet. Shaken by way he saw, he wrote a Facebook message about how precious life can be. He also made a plea to some lawmakers including Texas Rep. Victoria Neave (D-Dallas).
"I had reached out in that post to Rep. Neave's office asking to do something, because I knew that we did not have a universal helmet law," said Brown.
Neave filed a bill that would make helmets mandatory for all motorcycle riders.
The Swim family is actively supporting the bill.
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But there is opposition. According to the Houston Chronicle, 200 bikers rallied against it in Austin. The group 'Texas independent Coalition of Riders' is encouraging Texans to call their representatives and speak out against it.
At Dream Machines of Texas, a motorcycle store in Farmers Branch, we found differing opinions.
"I personally am not in favor of it. Riding motorcycles has always been an expression of freedom," said salesperson William Anthony.
Assistant Manager Dusty Taylor said about 30 to 40 percent of their customers don't wear helmets. But he believes they should be mandatory, and they are at the store when someone takes a bike out for a test drive.
"It is just safer. I mean, you know, just more protection," said Taylor.
