More time to kill and less places to go means people are taking the long way around town and for many that means biking.
Here in Acadiana the number of bikes on the road has increased by 200% in the last month.
In the sense that people are getting more exercise and reducing their carbon footprints this is a good thing, but the US Department of Transportation wants to remind people of the importance of bike safety. By law, bicycles on the roadway have the same rights and responsibilities as motorized vehicles.
"Always wear a helmet," says Ashley Moran with the Acadiana Planning Commission. "You want to protect your head. wear a light especially at night you want to stay visible. You are required by state law to have lights on your bicycle. Ride with traffic and stop at traffic lights on your bicycle."
It is also important for drivers to take precaution and be aware of the new group they'll share much of the road with.
"Look out for all these new cyclists on the road. We want to ask people to give cyclists some space and especially don't drive distracted. We've had a few fatalities in the past few years where drivers have rear ended cyclists. terrible terrible results. So we want to ask people - give cyclists space on the road," says Moran.
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