The battle continued Tuesday night over bicycle helmets and whether the City of Austin should make them mandatory for all riders.

A large crowd gathered to hear the debate at Alamo Drafthouse in South Austin.

Former Mayor Bruce Todd was almost killed in a bicycle accident last year, and that's why he says he supports helmets for everyone.

"How many of you would get in a car without a seatbelt? It took a law to convince people of this basic safety necessity," Todd said.

But a University of Texas employee who rides to work everyday says helmets do very little to protect riders who are hit by a car, which leads to most bicycle deaths in Austin.

"Not a single one of the fatalities that occurred in Austin the last five years, or six years, would have been prevented by a bicycle helmet," said Patrick Goetz.

Opponents also say mandatory helmet laws discourage people from riding their bikes. They point to other cities with similar laws where ridership has dwindled.

The Austin City Council is set to consider the bike helmet ordinance later this month.