Bike numbers in Western Australia: |
In relation to the data on this page, several points should be noted:
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Western Australia has a population of approximately 2.13 million. The capital city of Perth has a population of 1.6 million. The Causeway and the Narrows are the two main entry points to the city from the eastern and southern metropolitan sectors. Both the Narrows and the Causeway are bridges spanning the broad Swan River, creating accurate and focused survey points to count cyclist numbers. There is an alternative river crossing about 2.5km north of the Causeway, no bridge crossings between the Causeway and the Narrows, and no alternative crossings south or west of the Narrows Bridge. See bridge map.
As outlined in the March 2005 issue of the Health Promotion Journal of Australia (PDF 88kb), the number of regular cyclists in Western Australia almost doubled between 1982 and 1989 from 220,000 to 400,000. During this time, the numbers of cyclists admitted to West Australian hospitals and reported deaths and serious injuries per 10,000 regular cyclists fell by 48% and 33% respectively. As reported in March 2007 and based on data from Western Australia, Queensland and Victoria, the number of Australian children walking or riding a bicycle to school has plunged from about 80% in 1977 to the current level around 5%. The data on this website confirms that in Western Australia, the massive decline in cycling (and children's health and safety) began around 1991 when the helmet law was enacted. Bureau of Statistics figures released in November 2006 show the proportion of West Australians either cycling or walking to work fell from 6.4% in 1996 to 3.8% in 2006. These ABS figures (PDF 1.9meg) show the proportion of people cycling to work or study in Western Australia has fallen from 1.9% to 1.1% in the decade to 2006. Nationally, the proportion fell from 1.9% to 1.6%. The average proportion of people using a bicycle as their transport to work or study among all Australian states was 1.5% in 2006. In the Northern Territory it was 5.2%. The average proportion of people using a bicycle as their recreational transport among all Australian states was 4.8% in 2006. In the Northern Territory, it was 16%. There is no bicycle helmet law for adults on cycle paths in the Northern Territory. Government surveys suggest that from 1998 to 2007 there was a 159% increase in public usage of the 750 kilometre Perth Bicycle Network, which incorporates shared paths, bike lanes and cycle-friendly streets to provide an interconnected grid throughout the metropolitan area. This is not a recovery. A majority of the additional cyclists are riding without a helmet as more people have spurned the law so they can get healthy and reduce fuel consumption. Police enforcement of the helmet law has not been apparent in Perth since about 2000. For further Australian Bureau of Statistics data confirming the commuter cycling trends outlined on this page, see Travel to work in Australian capital cities, 1976-2006: an analysis of census data (PDF 296kb) published by the University of Melbourne in December 2007. Narrows Bridge cyclist numbers
The West Australian Government road department Main Roads WA compiles cyclist survey data which constitutes the official gauge of cycling numbers on Perth roads. Main Roads WA provides Annual Average Weekday Cycling Flows for various locations, including the Narrows Bridge, based on 12 month averages. See bridge map. The bridge has been doubled in width with provision of a new western cycle path and cyclist numbers increased sharply after 1999. Monthly cyclist numbers from October 2002 to June 2003 were 44% higher than from October 1991 to June 1992 (before law enforcement). However, cyclist numbers fell significantly after 2003 and by 2006 were about 6% more than their pre-helmet law average, despite 30%+ population growth and petrol prices doubling. The survey series began in October 1991, nine months before compulsory helmet law enforcement, so an accurate 12 month pre-law comparison is not possible. Nevertheless, the nine month average cyclist count on the Narrows Bridge from October 1991 to June 1992 was 1065. The tables below contain Main Roads WA data for the Narrows Bridge: Weekday cycling flows on the Narrows Bridge - October to June averages
Annual Average Weekday Cycling Flows on the Narrows Bridge
Monthly Average Weekday Cyclist Traffic Flow on the Narrows Bridge Law enforced July 1992. Pre-law figures in red.
Cyclist numbers plunged on the Narrows Bridge after 1992 helmet law enforcement but recovered from 1998 to 2003. Cyclist numbers have since fallen close to pre-law levels, despite the inner city population trebling, petrol prices doubling and a CBD employment surge over the 14 year period due to Western Australia's booming resource economy. In December 1991, 11,406 bikes were counted on the Narrows on weekends. In December 1992, it was down to 4526. By December 1993, it was 6507 and by December 1994 it was 6863. This is down from a mean daily count of 1267 in December 1991 to a mean of 762 in December 1994... a reduction of approximately 40%. In December 1991, 35,122 cyclists were counted on the Narrows on all days. In December 1992, it was down to 20,581. By December 1993, it was 29,506 and in December 1994 it was 27,216. This is down from a mean daily count of 1132 in December 1991 to a mean of 877 in December 1994... a reduction of approximately 23%. Cyclist survey figures before 1990 are scarce. However, these are the known statistics from random surveys:
Note: It was illegal to ride a bike across the Narrows until the introduction of dual-use path legislation in 1981. Note also that cycle pathways adjoining the Narrows were completed in the 1980s and bike hire facilities are situated nearby. Both these latter issues may influence cyclist numbers on the Narrows.
The West Australian Government road department Main Roads WA compiles cyclist survey data representing the primary official gauge of cycling numbers on Perth roads. Main Roads WA data provides Annual Average Weekday Cycling Flows for various locations, including the Causeway, based on 12 month averages. See bridge map. The survey series began in October 1991, nine months before compulsory bike helmet law enforcement, so an accurate 12 month pre-law comparison is not possible. Nevertheless, the nine month average daily cyclist count on the Causeway Bridge from October 1991 to June 1992 was 956. The tables below contain Main Roads WA data for the Causeway Bridge: Weekday cycling flows on the Causeway - October to June averages
Annual Average Weekday Cycling Flows on the Causeway Bridge
Monthly Average Weekday Cyclist Traffic Flow on the Causeway Bridge Law enforced July 1992. Pre-law figures in red.
In December 1991, 10,596 bikes were counted on the Causeway on weekends. In December 1992, it was down to 6719. By December 1993, it had fallen to 5295. By December 1994, it was down to 4564. This is down from a mean daily count of 1177 for weekends in December 1991 to a mean of 507 in December 1994... a reduction of approximately 57%. In December 1991, 33,828 bikes were counted on the Causeway on all days. In December 1992, it was down to 26,227. By December 1993, it had fallen to 22,772. By December 1994, it was down to 18,101. This is down from a mean daily count of 1091 in December 1991 to a mean of 584 in December 1994... a reduction of approximately 47%. During the 9 months counted on the Causeway during 1998, an average 761 cyclists rode on the Causeway each day. In 1992, it was 795. Survey figures before 1990 are scarce. However, these are the known statistics from random surveys:
The nine pre-law months surveyed by Main Roads WA can be compared with the average daily cycling flow for those months over the next eight years till 2000:
Main Roads WA monitoring of the Causeway and Freeway cycle paths began in October 1991. During the following nine months till helmet law enforcement in July 1992, the combined total number of cyclists across the two bridges was 18,230. Fourteen years later, in the nine months to June 2006, the combined total number of cyclists across the two bridges was 19,433 - an increase of 6.5%. Western Australia's population rose by approximately 30% between 1991 and 2005. Despite the cycling downturn on the bridges, cyclist admissions to West Australian hospitals rose to record levels by 2000.
Oct 91 - 2500 / Oct 05 - 1740 West Australian Health Department charts show various trends from pre-law 1989 to post-law 2000 hospital admission rates for cyclists, including the decline in female participation and the substantial increase in admissions for non-traffic pedal cyclist crashes.
A comparison of surveys in the WA cities of South Perth, Victoria Park and Subiaco, where TravelSmart programs operate, between 1986 and 1998 demonstrated that, whilst travel distances have remained the same, people used their cars considerably more, resulting in 25% less cycling and 12% less walking.
A comparison of the Victoria Park results of the 1986 Perth Travel Survey with those of the 1998 Victoria Park Travel Survey reveals changes over time in the travel behaviour of local residents. The remarkable aspect of this comparison is that the amount of travel has remained virtually the same; what has changed is the way people travel ... The big mode change has been the increase in car driver trips, which are, proportionally, up by almost eight per cent. This growth has been at the expense of walking (down 11.7%), public transport (down 12.5%) and cycling (down 25%).
Cartoon thanks to Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery According to a report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (PDF 1.9meg), the average proportion of people among all States using a bicycle as their day-to-day recreational transport was 4.8% in March 2006. In the Northern Territory, it was 16%. The proportion of Australian adults cycling to work or study fell from 1.9% in 1996 to 1.6% in 2006. In Western Australia, the proportion cycling to work or study fell from 1.9% in 1996 to 1.1% in 2006. The average proportion of people using a bicycle as their transport to work or study among all Australian States was 1.5% in March 2006. In the Northern Territory it was 5.2%. Unlike the rest of Australia, there is no bicycle helmet law for adults on cycle paths in the Northern Territory. According to the Participation in Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey 2004 Annual Report by the Federal Parliament's Standing Committee on Recreation and Sport, the public cycling participation rates across Australia in 2004 were: Australian Capital Territory 16.2%, New South Wales 9.1%, Northern Territory 17.8%, Queensland 9.6%, South Australia 9%, Tasmania 9.7%, Victoria 11.6%, Western Australia 13.8%. Two years later in 2006, the Premier's Physical Activity Taskforce (PDF 548KB) suggests the number of adult recreational and transport cyclists in Western Australia had dropped to 13.1%. Census data shows the percentage of people in the Perth Statistical Division of Western Australia who ride a bicycle to work fell from 1.3% in 1991 (pre helmet law) to 1% in 2006. The results from four Census counts were: 1991 - 1.3%
Following a 10% annual increase in Perth cyclist numbers during the 1980s, the impact of the mandatory helmet law was profound and hadn't recovered proportionally in the 15 years to 2006. As an example, the City of Stirling is a huge local government municipality controlling all of Perth's mid-northern suburbs. The actual numbers of people cycling to work in the City of Stirling were: 1991 - 740
According to the 2006 WA Adult Physical Activity Survey by the Premier's Physical Activity Taskforce, the West Australian public exercises in the following ways: Walking for recreation 68% Extract from Bikewest (Western Australia Government bicycle promotion and safety department) news release dated 19.3.96, five years after 1991 mandatory helmet law enactment: Bikeweek coordinator Jim Krynen said the competition aimed to turn the tide on the declining number of children cycling to school. "In the past five years the number of schoolchildren cycling to school has more than halved," Mr Krynan said. "The result of this decline is an increased traffic flow around schools as parents drive their children, which puts children's lives at risk." Women in particular have abandoned cycling since compulsory bike helmet laws were introduced in Australia. The Health Promotion Journal of Australia reported in 2003 that Australia has a disproportionately low number of female cyclists (PDF 228kb). The problem of female cycling discouragement has been identified in New Zealand university research. The table below shows the overall number of cyclist commuters riding all the way to work in the city of Adelaide before and after law enforcement in 1991 (pre-Census) and the ratio of male to female cyclists. In 1976, women represented 37% of the Adelaide workforce and by 2001 they represented 43%.
"During the warmer months, women in particular are concerned about getting so-called "helmet hair", caused by the shell compressing their locks. Hairdressers often suggest a shorter cut with unstructured layers for clients who cycle regularly. Chemically relaxing may also create a more wash-and-wear style. For longer hair, ladies might try blow-drying after a shower using a round brush, before applying a gel and then a volumiser to reduce "fly-away". This can be followed by a brush through with a heavy paddle and a comb to finish. A good tip for keeping curls from being crushed is to pile the hair on top of the head, holding it place with one hand, while putting the helmet on top with the other. When arriving at the destination, the curls are simply shaken loose."
On March 18, 2009, a Bikewest article in The West Australian newspaper had similar advice for women: There are even solutions to overcome "helmet hair", or the flattened hairstyles that can deter many women from riding to the office. For clients who cycle regularly, hairdressers suggest a shorter cut with unstructured layers or more wash-and-wear styles. For longer hair, blow-drying after a shower using a round brush, before applying a gel and then a volumiser, can help reduce "fly-away" locks. A good tip for keeping curls from being crushed is to pile the hair on top of the head, holding it in place with one hand, while putting the helmet on top with the other. Upon arrival, simply shake loose." Got that? If you're a woman who wants to ride a bike, just cut your hair, add some chemicals, follow the other procedures and you should be ready for a quick cycle to the local store. Apparently they're serious. Bicycle Victoria in Australia devotes an entire page to "the helmet hair dilemma".
The diagram above shows women's share of bicycle trips in respective countries from 2000 to 2005, and is sourced to 2007 data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the statistical services of all countries involved. The research is contained within Making Cycling Irresistible (PDF 876kb) (Pucher and Buehler, Transport Reviews, Vol. 28 2008). A Deakin University study (PDF 232kb) published by the Health Promotion Journal of Australia in 2003 found that Australian women's participation in cycling for transport and recreation is approximately half that of men. These gender differences do not occur in several western European countries. Research is required to investigate the individual, social and environmental determinants of Australian women's participation in cycling for transport and recreation. The research on this website explains why so few Australian women ride bicycles. Up-to-date as usual, The West Australian newspaper's story about the research was published in November 2007. As detailed in Travel to work in Australian capital cities, 1976-2006: an analysis of census data (PDF 296kb) published by the University of Melbourne in December 2007, just 17.8% of people cycling to work in Perth during 2006 were female. Across Australia ... while the percentage of 2006 workers who are female varies from 43% to 47% across the seven cities, the share of cyclists who are female ranges from only 17% to 26%, compared with 43% to 51% for walking and 50% to 56% for public transport. Adults in the Northern Territory are legally allowed to ride without a bicycle helmet on a cycle path. A far greater proportion of people in the NT capital city of Darwin ride a bicycle than any other Australian city. The graph below clearly illustrates that women in the Northern Territory are far more likely to cycle than women in other Australian states:
Also in 2008, Australian model Elle Macpherson was pilloried for cycling in London without a helmet and with her helmeted son on the handlebars. Read an opposing view by The Guardian newspaper's respected columnist Simon Jenkins, who believes Elle Macpherson deserves a medal for defying the health and safety gods. Main Roads WA figures show that between Sept 83 and Dec 89, Perth enjoyed a 10% annual growth in personal bike trips. Below is a graph prepared by the West Australian Government road department Main Roads WA showing Perth's estimated cycling growth during the 1980s and the major decline experienced following the law's enactment in 1991.  More research from the 1980s can be found in Bicycle Crashes in Western Australia 1985-86 (PDF 5.5meg). Further research (PDF 299kb) shows that numbers of regular cyclists (those who cycle at least once a week) almost doubled from 1982 to 1989. The table below shows that cycling also became safer. "Numbers of cyclists admitted to hospital (HOSP) and reported deaths and serious injuries (DSI) per 10,000 regular cyclists fell by 46% and 33% respectively. Jacobsen's Growth Rule, predicting a 34% fall in injuries per cyclist for twice as much cycling, is pretty close to what actually happened." (table data from Somerford P, Pinder T, Valuri G, Price S, Stevens M. Bicycle injury hospitalisations and deaths in Western Australia. Health Department of Western Australia and Robinson DL. Head injuries and bicycle helmet laws. Accid Anal Prev 1996; 28: 463-475.)
Authorities estimate a 25 per cent reduction in West Australian cyclist numbers between 1991-1995 and a five per cent fall in the number of children (particularly girls) riding bikes to school. In 1993, the Traffic Board of Western Australia estimated a 38 per cent reduction in WA cyclist numbers as a result of the law. By 1996, the government's cycling promotion agency Bikewest stated that "in the past five years the number of schoolchildren cycling to school has more than halved". In the state of NSW, where the mandatory helmet law was enacted in 1990, a 1993 study was conducted by Smith MC and Milthorpe MW: An observational survey of law compliance and helmet wearing by cyclists in New South Wales, RTA 1993 (ISBN0-7305-9110-7).
An official cyclist count in regional NSW post-legislation found a 43% reduction. A separate survey of children's cycling two months before and 10 months after law enforcement found an overall reduction of 38%.
In Melbourne, surveys at the same 64 observation sites (PDF 535kb) in May 1990 and May 1991 found there were 29% fewer adults and 42% fewer child cyclists (36% overall). Each site was observed for two 5 hour periods chosen from the four time blocks of weekday morning, weekend morning, weekday afternoon and weekend afternoon, representing a total of 640 hours of observation. The weather was broadly similar for both surveys. Victoria introduced compulsory bike helmet legislation in late 1990. In the first year of compulsory helmet legislation in Victoria, child cycling went down by 36% and child head injuries went down by 32%. Surveys taken in May/June 1990, 1991 and 1992, reported by Cameron et al. (1992), indicated that total children's bicycling activity in Victoria had reduced by 36% in the first year of the helmet law, and by a total of 45% in the second year. Commuter cycling to work in Australia dropped sharply following enactment of compulsory bike helmet legislation. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data shows there has been a significant shift in bike sales from children to adults. In the late 1980s, about 60% of bikes were sold to children (mostly teenagers) and the remainder to adults. By the late 1990s, almost 65% of bikes were sold to adults and the remainder to children. Despite this growth in adult cycling, the following ABS Census data shows there has been a massive decline in commuter bike trips to work: Australia
Perth (law enforced in 1992, six months after 1991 Census)
Brisbane (law enforced in 1992, six months after 1991 Census)
Sydney (law enforced more than six months before 1991 Census)
Melbourne (law enforced more than six months before 1991 Census)
Western Australia bike imports per financial year fell sharply following helmet law enforcement in 1991/92, according to the following data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS):
88/89 - 55,791 With regard the bike import data above, it should be noted that bike use was flourishing in the 1980s (10% cyclist road survey growth per annum in Western Australia). It should also be noted that the Australian bicycle manufacturing industry had effectively shut down by the end of the 1980s, particularly with the closure of Malvern Star in September 1987, and almost all new bikes sold in Australia during the 1990s were imports. Bike imports should thus have surged during the 1990s as Australians replaced their ageing Aussie-built bikes with imported bikes. It should also be noted that Western Australia's population grew by 15% between 1988 and 2001. World medical authorities estimate that regular cycling exercise adds as much as 10 years to your life. If government data is accurate, tens and possibly hundreds of thousands of West Australians have abandoned cycling or cycle less often since the year of compulsory helmet enforcement. The cumulative cost to personal longevity and public health expenditure is incalculable. A 14 year Danish study of more than 30,000 people shows that bicycling to work decreased the risk of mortality in approximately 40% of participants, taking into account other lifestyle factors. Discouragement of cycling can be fatal. Physical inactivity causes more than 8,600 deaths a year in Australia, according to research commissioned by the country's Federal Health Department and published in March 2000. The Cycling 100 study conducted by the Western Australia Department of Environmental Protection in 1999 found that a short bike ride three times a week improves cardiovascular fitness, reduces blood pressure, cuts elevated cholesterol levels by half, and reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke and debilitating backache. Tens of thousands of West Australians have abandoned these health benefits of cycling. The year long study involved 65 "habitual car users", aged 21 to 65, who swapped their cars for a bike to travel to work four times a week. The researchers calculated the trial group also saved 37 tonnes of greenhouse gas from otherwise being emitted by their vehicles. The European Union's Directorate General for Transport commissioned Measures to promote cyclist safety and mobility (PDF 1mb) in 1997, the study finding with mandatory helmet laws that "this measure has proven to be very restrictive. In Australia it has resulted in a decrease of bicycle use of about 35%. In that way the measure is totally counterproductive. Positive health effects of cycling (prevention of untimely death because of heart and coronary diseases and such) outweigh by far the negative health effects of dangerous road conditions." America's Injury Prevention magazine published an article in 2003 titled Safety in Numbers: more walkers and bicyclists, safer walking and bicycling (PDF 140kb) which concludes that policies increasing walking and bicycling can improve the safety of other road users. The clear benefit of safety in numbers is illustrated in the graph below, again demonstrating that it is not sensible to discourage cycling with mandatory helmet laws.
West Australian police crash statistics indicate cyclists fell as a percentage of all road users from 1.3% in 1987 to 0.9% in 1996. Western Australia's compulsory bike helmet law was enforced in 1992. The number of bike crashes reported to West Australian police decreased from 1,011 in 1987 to 718 in 1996. This figure may reflect the lesser number of people riding bikes because of the helmet laws, as helmets do not prevent road accidents from happening. Conversely, it may represent a greater number of people failing to report crashes to police due to fear of prosecution for not wearing a helmet.
There was a substantial decline in West Australian bike sales after the legislation was introduced - approx 30% according to one trader quoted in the media - resulting in the closure of various bike retail stores.
Cycling for active transport and recreation in Australia (PDF 235kb) is a paper published in late 2006 by World Transport Policy and Practices which analyses cycling trends in Australia compared to overseas. Observation by two key speakers at the 1996 International Velo Australis Bicycle Conference in Fremantle, Western Australia:
"Few evaluations of bicycle helmet laws have yet considered the loss of health and other benefits from discouraging a cheap, convenient and non-polluting means of transport. Despite the obvious need to measure changes in cycle use as a result of such laws, available data are less than adequate, but strongly suggest the increase in numbers wearing helmets was less than the overall decrease in cyclists. "It is generally agreed that car travel is more deleterious to health unless the motorist can exercise several times a week by other means which will maintain fitness, and hence the benefits of bicycle helmet laws must remain questionable." "The helmet legislation has discouraged people from using bicycle transport. This has decreased community fitness levels, increased risks of serious diseases due to exercise deficit, and hence probably increased community health costs (Roberts et al, 1995). It is likely that these disbenefits are far more significant than any possible injury prevention benefit from helmet legislation." Home Page Western Australia cyclist injuries Helmet research Social impact Helmet research before law Different Australian States Helmet law in New Zealand Helmet law in Canada Helmet law in England Australia's health crisis Australia's obesity crisis Child cycling Bike accidents 1987-1996 Second-hand helmets Prison penalties Football helmets Government deceit Cyclist fatalities Web links Contact This website designed by Scribeworks 2000/2009
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