have drugs there. then put me in hand cuffs and the back of the car, and searched the entire car looking for guns and drugs. somebody called in for another crime and ended up letting me out of the car and just speeding off. mind you, i'm a working man with a college degree who didn't do anything wrong, i mean what it does to your pride and self-esteem in the moment, like you just can't get that back. >> reporter: his experiences and the experiences of his friends led him to push for the driving equality bill which goes into effect in early 2022. >> we're looking at, hopefully, around 100,000 less traffic stops a year. >> reporter: that's important to thomas, because he says those stops take a large toll on black drivers, with a very small, nearly nonexistent return for the city. >> we know that in the city of philadelphia, the year we examine over 300,000 motor vehicle cold stops, less than 1%