Cycling participation in the Northern Territory

Also see cycling participation in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.

Mandatory bicycle helmet laws were enforced in the Northern Territory for all ages 1 January 1992. However, following a public petition signed by an estimated 8% of the territory's population, the law was repealed in March 1994 for adults cycling on footpaths and cycle paths.

The 2011 Census data above show the highest proportion of cycling to work was in the Northern Territory.

Below is extracted from Australia Cycling: Bicycle Ownership, Use and Demographics published 2004 by the Australian Bicycle Council.

The data above suggest the Northern Territory has both the highest rate of cycling to work and the highest proportion of recreational cycling among all Australian jurisdictions.

Below is extracted from Cycling in New South Wales published 2008 by Parsons Brinckerhoff on behalf of the Premier's Council for Active Living.

The 2006 Census data above suggest the Northern Territory has by far the lowest proportion of injuries per commuter cyclists among all Australian jurisdictions.

Below is extracted from Serious Injury Due to Land Transport Accidents, Australia 2006–07 authored by Geoff Henley and James Harrison published 2009 by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

The Northern Territory has the worst road safety record and injury rate in Australia for all road user types except cyclists. The data above shows the Northern Territory car occupant serious injury rate was 124 compared to a national average of 78, its motorcyclist serious injury rate was 45 compared to a national average of 35 and its pedestrian serious injury rate was 19 compared to a national average of 13. The Northern Territory cyclist serious injury rate was exactly the same as the national average at 23 and better than several states where helmet use is mandatory for adult cyclists in all public places.

The data above show the Northern Territory car occupant serious injury rate with a high threat to life was 54 compared to a national average of 23, its motorcyclist serious injury rate with a high threat to life was 15 compared to a national average of 9 and its pedestrian serious injury rate with a high threat to life was 6 compared to a national average of 5. The Northern Territory cyclist serious injury rate with a high threat to life was exactly the same as the national average at 4.

Below is extracted from Day to Day Travel in Australia 1985-86 published 1988 by the Federal Office of Road Safety.

Across the Northern Territory, the data above suggest that when surveyed over the full 12 months of 1985/86 including winter, there were 23,800 bike trips per day by Northern Territory cyclists aged 9+.

Below is extracted from 2011 Australian Cycling Participation published by Austroads and the Australian Bicycle Council.

Across the Northern Territory, the data above suggest that when surveyed in the warm months of March and April, 39,017 people in the territory aged 10+ cycled per week in 2011, which equates (multiplied by an average 6.7 trips per week in the Northern Territory divided by seven days) to an average 37,345 trips per day.

Compared to the 23,800 in 1985/86, this represents an increase of 56.9% from 1985/86 to 2011, with the population of the Northern Territory increasing 48.3% from 1986 to 2011 (154,848 to 229,675).

It should be noted that 1985/86 was six years before helmet law enforcement in the Northern Territory.

The tables below show state percentages of cycling weekly, monthly and yearly based on 2011 Australian Cycling Participation, 2013 Australian Cycling Participation, 2015 Australian Cycling Participation, 2017 Australian Cycling Participation and 2019 Australian Cycling Participation published by Austroads and the Australian Bicycle Council.

The data above show there was a decrease in Northern Territory weekly cycling participation from 2011 to 2019 - down from 26.3% to 21.3%, while monthly cycling declined from 35.9% to 29.2% and yearly cycling declined from 51.7% to 43.7%.

Aged 9+, the data above suggest daily bike trips decreased 25.7% from 1985/86 to 2019 (23,800 > 17,678), despite Northern Territory 9yo+ population growth of 75.8% from 1985 to 2019 (121,381 > 213,372).

The survey data above suggest an increase in Northern Territory cycling participation from 1985/86 to 2011 but a decline from 2011 to 2019.

Also see cycling participation in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.