Parenting Experts Warn Babies Can Hydroplane In As Little As One Inch Of Water

ITHACA, NY—Stressing that even shallow puddles could undermine an infant’s traction, parenting experts at Cornell University published a report Wednesday in which they warned that babies could hydroplane in as little as one inch of water. “You have to watch infants and toddlers closely around water, because even a thin layer can send them sliding into a ditch,” said lead researcher Debbie Lin, who explained that once a child started hydroplaning, it was already too late to do anything, and parents would just have to hope the baby didn’t spin completely out of control. “Our data revealed that many families venture out in the rain without realizing how easy it is for their baby to go skating across a stretch of standing water. The grooves on a baby’s skin lose contact with the surface of the pavement very easily, and they still lack the ability to turn into the direction of the skid, which doesn’t develop until later in childhood. People assume their babies will cry when hydroplaning, but many stay silent the entire time they’re spinning, so you need to keep an eye on them. Turn your back for one second, and they could barrel out of control, spraying water and gaining speed until they slam into a tree. Then you’re potentially looking at thousands in repairs.” Lin added that beyond being vigilant, the best way to ensure a baby stayed safe near standing water was to keep the infant at speeds lower than 30 miles per hour.

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