Friday was National Bike to Work Day, and some people in the Valley ditched the car keys and strapped on a helmet.

Nancy Heisey, a professor at Easter Mennonite University, has been biking to work since last fall, and says she was inspired by co-workers who also ride bikes. She says she has another reason, besides saving money and getting exercise, to bike.

"It's my perception that the wars in the Middle East have largely been related to the need for oil, and so that was when I actually started thinking about it, and talking to my colleges about a way to sort of protest against oil wars," says Heisey.

She also uses some of the bike paths in the area but admits she is concerned about safety when riding on the street.

"I'm quite a nervous driver, and I'm always taking my time and looking three ways and making sure that they notice me," says Heisey.

Those are the kinds of precautions that the Harrisonburg Police Department says she should do. Officer Paul Rodeffer is a bike officer for downtown Harrisonburg. He says if you thing there is not a penalty for disobeying traffic laws when you're on your bike, think again.

"They can be written up just like a vehicle, and if they've got a driver's license, it goes on their driver's license as points just like a car," says Rodeffer.

He recalls an accident that serves as his reminder to be careful while riding.

Rodeffer explains, "Only by a miracle did the car pick him up and throw him on the hood. If it would have took him down, he'd been run over, and the man would have never been able to stop."

It's not state law for adults to wear helmets while riding bikes, but police say they still should. However in the city of Harrisonburg, kids 14 and younger are required to wear a helmet.