More than almost anything, kids love cars. Kids motorized cars can be a great source of enjoyment for your child. Not only it provides them opportunities to go outside, play in the open fresh air but also help them bond with neighbours’ kids. Don’t forget, at this age, kids are going to great some great memories of their childhood.
See also:
- Benefits of Kids Playing Outside
- An Age-By-Age Buyer’s Guide to Kids Motorized Cars
- 10 Facts About Kids Motorized Cars
So, if you are thinking of gifting a battery powered car to your kid but don’t know how to teach them drive it, keep reading. We have compiled a list of easy-to-follow steps that will help you give your child her/his first driving lesson
Note: Before we begin, I should mention that the following tips are just general tips and can be followed only as a basic guide. For a particular electric ride on car, you should read the manual that comes with it. Let’s begin
How to drive a kids motorized car – A step-by-step guide for beginners
Step 1 – Charge the battery
Before you take your kid to ride the battery-powered ride on toy, make sure it is fully charged. Generally, you need to charge the battery (12 volt) for the minimum of 18 hours right out of the box. You can then install it in the battery compartment of the car. To make sure that you have a proper connection, you can plug the motor harness into the battery and look out for any LED flash. If there is an LED flash, you are good. After each use of the vehicle, charge the battery immediately for at least 14 hours.
Step 2 – Choosing the riding area
For a great experience, the riding are should be wide, open and level grounds. The Riding area must be away from water bodies such as swimming pools other wise it might be dangerous. Other than this, the area should be away from steep slopes and steps, roads and alleys. As steep slopes can cause the vehicle to gain unsafe speed and lose traction, causing it to slip. Moreover, steep slopes can cause the ride on car to roll backwards at unsafe speed.
Step 3 – Siting in the vehicle
Kids should always sit on the seat. While riding children should always wear shoes. For 2-seater ride on cars, only two riders at a time should ride.
Step 4 – Start
Make sure the shifter is in the low speed position. Press down on the foot pedal for the vehicle to start.
Step 5 – Steering
Teach your child steering. Help him/her practice it till he/she knows how quickly and how far to turn the steering wheel.
Step 6 – Control Speed
Start with a lower speed and then increasing the speed with more driving experience. Most of the battery powered powered ride on cars have controllable speeds. For instance, With Power Wheels Smart Drive Mustang Ride On Cars, parents can control 5 different speeds. For a seven year old, you can put up the speed fast but for a 3 year old you would want to put the speed all the way low.
Step 7 – Reverse
Before the vehicle is shifted from forward to reverse motion, it is needed to be stopped first. This is done to avoid harming the gears and the motor. Now, make sure the shifter is in the reverse position. Now press down on the foot pedal. In reverse, the electric ride on cars are usually designed to function only in low speed.
Step 8 – Music/sounds and Lights
You can press the button on to listen to music. Similarly press the corresponding buttons for fun sound effects! To control the volume, just turn the volume dial. Press the main reset button (with the point of a pen or a similar object) in case the sound box does not work properly.
Step 9 – Stop
Lift your foot (or get off your foot) from the pedal to stop the vehicle.
Step 10 – For advance driving (high Speed)
Once the high speed lock-out is disconnected by removing the screw in the shifter box, the car can be driven forward in low/high speed. But before disconnecting the high speed lock-out, using parental controls, make sure your kid knows how to start, steer and stop the vehicle as well as the safe driving rules. Now shift the shifter to the high speed position and press down on the foot pedal.
Bonus – Safety Tips
- Kids must ride the the direct supervision of adults
- Always ride in the day light or well lit spaces. Never ride at night or in the dark.
- Make sure kids know and follow all riding rules.
- Never put anything, snag fingers, hair, etc near moving/rotating parts, such as motors, gear boxes and wheels.
- The vehicles should not be operated when it is upside-down or on its side.
Have an amazing experience, safe driving & riding with your kids!
Hey! This is Sachin. I love creating helpful content for everyone out there. On this website, my aim is to post articles that can help people buy perfect ride ons for their kids.
