Worshipers cannot wear helmets due to their turbans, which are an integral part of their religion. A California senator has therefore proposed an exemption for Sikh bikers.
Bill SB847 was approved by 21 votes to 8 in the Californian Senate in early June 2023. An essential step before the formalization of the right to ride without a helmet for the Sikh community in the American state. This text is carried by Brian Dahle, an elected Republican from northern California: he was contacted by Sikh bikers – in particular the Legendary Sikh Riders and Sikh Saints Motorycycle Club, who exposed their problem.
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if the US Constitution allows them to live their faith freely, the current law prohibits motorcycling without a helmet and provides for the risk of a $250 fine in California. However, the faithful men of this religion must wear on their heads a turban seven meters long, as a symbol of humility. And he does not withdraw on command. Hence the bill to change the legislation and thus allow them to live “the American dream“, pleads the senator.
And California is not the only region of the world to ask the question. If it is the only American state for the moment – where 210,000 Sikhs live, that is to say half of the Sikh community of the United States, in Canada, where the communities of the Indian subcontinent are more numerous, several provinces already leave the Sikh bikers ride without a helmet. As is already the case in Ontario since 2018, in Alberta, Manitoba and even British Columbia. In India and the United Kingdom, the law provides for exceptions: in England, this dates back to the 1970s, for example. In New Zealand, Sikhs can drive without a helmet, but not more than 50 km/h. And in neighboring Australia, a motorcycle club is also calling for exemptions.
if the US Constitution allows them to live their faith freely, the current law prohibits motorcycling without a helmet and provides for the risk of a $250 fine in California. However, the faithful men of this religion must wear on their heads a turban seven meters long, as a symbol of humility. And he does not withdraw on command. Hence the bill to change the legislation and thus allow them to live “the American dream“, pleads the senator.
And California is not the only region of the world to ask the question. If it is the only American state for the moment – where 210,000 Sikhs live, that is to say half of the Sikh community of the United States, in Canada, where the communities of the Indian subcontinent are more numerous, several provinces already leave the Sikh bikers ride without a helmet. As is already the case in Ontario since 2018, in Alberta, Manitoba and even British Columbia. In India and the United Kingdom, the law provides for exceptions: in England, this dates back to the 1970s, for example. In New Zealand, Sikhs can drive without a helmet, but not more than 50 km/h. And in neighboring Australia, a motorcycle club is also calling for exemptions.
if the US Constitution allows them to live their faith freely, the current law prohibits motorcycling without a helmet and provides for the risk of a $250 fine in California. However, the faithful men of this religion must wear on their heads a turban seven meters long, as a symbol of humility. And he does not withdraw on command. Hence the bill to change the legislation and thus allow them to live “the American dream“, pleads the senator.
Exceptions around the world
And California is not the only region of the world to ask the question. If it is the only American state for the moment – where 210,000 Sikhs live, that is to say half of the Sikh community of the United States, in Canada, where the communities of the Indian subcontinent are more numerous, several provinces already leave the Sikh bikers ride without a helmet. As is already the case in Ontario since 2018, in Alberta, Manitoba and even British Columbia. In India and the United Kingdom, the law provides for exceptions: in England, this dates back to the 1970s, for example. In New Zealand, Sikhs can drive without a helmet, but not more than 50 km/h. And in neighboring Australia, a motorcycle club is also calling for exemptions.
However, this obviously poses a road safety problem. And it is precisely, it is which explains the opposition of the Automobile Club of Southern California. The association is concerned to see the law on helmets – which save lives – lose value in the eyes of motorcyclists. In the United States in 2020, more than 5,000 people died following a motorcycle accident. There were also 180,000 injured that year. Helmets reduce the risk of head injuries by 69%.
A “resistant turban”
Another association of health professionals clearly opposes the text of the law, even if it understands the issue of the turban among Sikhs and the importance of freedom of religious expression. She therefore asks that we think about alternatives. And some are already working on it. The “tough turban”, literally the resistant turban, is developed in Canada. It obviously does not have the solidity of a real helmet, does not cover the whole face, but it has the advantage of resembling a classic turban, with three protective layers, with soft foam and a composite material in particular. The company Bold Helmets, still Canadian, has looked into a similar concept.
However, the president of the Sikh Motorcycle Club USA in Stockton, northern California, recalls that Sikh soldiers fought in the First and Second World Wars without any special protection above their turbans. So after all, why bother with a motorcycle helmet?