This Sikh mom couldn't find a proper helmet for her boys. Now, she's designed her own
CBC
When Tina Singh's boys started learning to ride bikes, it was obvious they'd need helmets.
There was just one problem: Singh couldn't find a single helmet on the market to accommodate her sons' turbans.
"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," the Toronto mom of three told CBC Toronto.
Not having a turban-appropriate helmet meant Singh had resort to things like getting larger helmets that didn't fit right, scooping out the foam inside one to accommodate her children's hair or not putting a helmet on her kids at all.
None were safe options.
An occupational therapist who has worked with patients with acquired brain injuries, Singh says she knew how important it was to have a well-fitting bicycle helmet.
"I was frustrated that there wasn't a safe option in sports helmets for my kids," she said.
So, she set out to create her own.
Now, the Ontario mom has designed what she says is the first safety certified multisport helmet specifically for kids like hers.
For over two years, Singh says she has worked on and tested different versions of the helmet. Now, she says it's in production and certified for use with bicycles, inline skates, kick scooters and skateboarding for kids over the age of five.
"This is a big learning curve for me, it's not something I've ever done before," she said.
What makes her model unique is it has a domed portion on top to accommodate a child's hair, while still fitting the way a helmet should: two finger spaces above the eyebrow, creating a "v" shape around the ear and one finger space between the chinstrap and the ear.
This past December, the helmet received a passing grade from the international testing company SGS.
While Singh's helmets are for children, the issue of whether to exempt turban-wearing Sikhs motorcyclists from having to wear helmets has made headlines in recent years.
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