You’ve paid a pretty penny for that shiny new ride-on car. Your kid loves driving it. You love watching them ride in it. Now, with a little know-how, you can make the most out of their playing time. Good quality ride-on cars are built to last and can withstand a fair amount of rough play, but they’re not indestructible. At the same time, child safety is always the first priority. Therefore it’s important to teach your youngster good driving habits, and follow a few easy guidelines when it comes to care and maintenance.
Here are some essential tips to help you maximize the enjoyment of your ride-on car.
Do's
- Put the car in the lowest speed when letting an inexperienced child ride for the first few times. Increase the speed only after they get the hang of it.
- Always wear a seatbelt when riding. No exceptions.
- Check the environment before indoor/outdoor play to make sure there are no danger zones (ie. stairs) or dangerous objects. The best areas to ride are open, with a flat surface, and no sharp corners or edges.
- Disconnect the battery cables if the ride-on car won’t be used for one month or longer in order to avoid battery drain and degradation.
- Put on the supplied washers during assembly: on BOTH inside and outside of the wheels for the front tires, and only on the outside for the rear tires.
- Charge the battery for 12 consecutive hours before the first usage.
- Insert a USB memory stick to play music from the AUX port.
- Use the remote control to operate the vehicle (by an adult), not only does it give you full access to driving, but also enables 1 extra speed compared to switching directly on the dashboard on most models (3 vs. 2 speeds).
Don'ts
- Lift the ride-on car by the steering wheel, as it can crack under heavy load. Instead, lift from under the front or rear bumper.
- Leave the charger plugged in when driving (or it won’t start!)
- Forget to connect the battery under the seat during assembly (there will be two sets of cables, one set is usually already connected out of the factory, so you just need to connect the second set).
- Ride the vehicle over deep pools of water such as large puddles.
- Seat more than the designed capacity. Always go with the number of seatbelts. 1 seatbelt = 1 rider, even if there appear to be two seats.
- Leave your child unattended when playing. Adult supervision is always required.
- Ride the vehicle if your child is over the weight limit. It’s dangerous and unsafe. Check the max. supported weight in the manual if you are not sure.
- Let a child control the car remotely unless they’re experienced and under adult supervision.
- Play in crowded outdoor areas or streets where cars are present.
A ride-on is one of the most exciting and fun toys for a child. Just remember to exercise good judgment when it comes to safety and proper usage. If you have any questions, follow up with your retailer to make sure all issues & concerns are resolved. This is another reason to purchase from a reputable seller with excellent customer service.