A Sikh woman from Toronto has designed helmets for kids who wear turbans after failing to find an alternative. Tina Singh, an occupational therapist, came up with the design after realizing none of the standard helmets fit her two kids and that they need protection while riding their bikes.
“My kids keep their hair, so anytime I went to go put a bike helmet when they were going out to ride … nothing fit them properly,” said Tina Singh, an occupational therapist, and mother of two boys. She tried regular helmets but they wouldn’t fit. She also tried oversized helmets with the foam scooped out to make more space but they wouldn’t sit right either. She finally decided to fix this problem on her own and came up with a design that has room to accommodate turbans.
This allows kids to wear helmets without disturbing their turbans and still fit their heads the right way: two finger spaces above the eyebrow, and one finger space between the chinstrap and the ear, creating a “v” shape around the ear. International testing company SGS gave the helmet a passing grade in December last year.
Singh has created the first safety-certified multisport helmet specifically for kids that wear turbans. She worked on the helmet for over two years, testing different versions, and is now in production.
The helmets fit properly over turbans following the correct helmet-wearing regulations. Credit: CBC
The legal counsel for the World Sikh Organization of Canada, Balpreet Singh, said, “There are some Sikhs that do wear helmets and also many Sikhs that choose not to wear helmets because they don’t feel anything should cover the turban. So I think this is definitely one more option that Sikh families can consider and definitely long overdue.”
Along with providing safety to kids, the helmet is also a symbol of being seen in sports. This will also help Sikh children get over the challenges of participating in sports. “It is also a demonstration of inclusion and diversity in sport participation,” she added. Singh is happy and excited to see her kids reap the benefit of a product she designed.