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May 12, 2025 - The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission is celebrating Bicycle Safety Month during May and wants to remind adults that bike safety isn’t just for little kids.
Bicycles usually are associated with children, but more adults are riding bikes, and the consequences can be bad for those who don’t take proper safety precautions. More than half of all bicycle injuries in Louisiana in 2023 affected adults 35-64 years old, according to the Center for Analytics and Research in Transportation Safety at LSU.
“Adults are often telling kids to be careful on bikes, but we need to take our own advice,” LHSC Executive Director Lisa Freeman said. “Always follow traffic laws, wear bright, reflective clothing, and even adults should wear a bicycle helmet.”
Louisiana law mandates that all bicyclists under 12 wear a helmet, but adults also should wear helmets. A properly fitted helmet should be snug but not tight, fit level on your head, and provide adequate head coverage without obstructing your vision.
Bicyclists should always ride in the same direction with traffic, as close to the right shoulder as practical to give motor vehicles an easier passing path. Bicyclists also should mount front and rear lights on their bicycles to increase visibility, Freeman said.
During the pandemic, many adults started riding bicycles again, and the trend seems to have stuck. Unfortunately, in Louisiana and across the country, the number of people killed on bicycles is still well above pre-pandemic levels (see chart below).
From 2020 to 2023, 148 bicyclists died on Louisiana roads, according to CARTS. All but nine of those bicyclists were 25 years old or older, and none was 14 or younger.
Motor vehicle drivers must recognize that bicyclists also have a right to be on the road, except where prohibited, such as on an interstate. Louisiana law is very clear that the driver of a car must exercise due care while the motor vehicle is passing the bicycle and must leave at least three feet between the car and the bike.
Navigating intersections is especially important. "When you’re driving a car, be cautious when you approach an intersection, because bicyclists are not easy to see,” Freeman said. “If you do encounter a bicyclist in your lane, give them room and only pass when it’s safe to go into the adjoining lane.”
For more information on bicycle safety, click here.
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