New Texas Motorcycle Law Requires Passenger Hand Holds

A new state motorcycle law in Texas, Malorie's Law, just went into effect and it applies to both rider and passenger. Amarillo Police Cpl. Jerry Neufeld summed it up: "Any motorcycle carrying two passengers, that back passenger must have bars or something they can grab a hold of to hang on to as well." Also known as House Bill 3838, the law gets its other name from Malorie Bullock, a Texas A&M student killed in a motorcycle accident in 2010.

As we all know, most cruiser motorcycles come with such handholds stock. Those of us who customize our bikes with chopper seats or the like may want to be aware of the law if they plan on riding through Texas from now on. Law enforcement stated that violation of the law will most likely be treated like a traffic violation, and would be a Class C Misdemeanor and up to a $500 fine.