The overall introduction and safe tips of bumper cars

Bumper cars (US English) or dodgems (British English) is the generic name for a type of flat ride consisting of several small electric cars which draw power from the floor and/or ceiling, and which are turned on and off remotely by an operator. They are also known as bumping cars, dashing cars, and dodgem cars. Power is commonly supplied by one of two methods: The oldest and most common method uses a conductive floor and ceiling, each with a separate power polarity. A newer method uses alternating strips of metal across the floor separated by insulating spacers, and no ceiling grid. The metal floor is usually set up as a rectangular or oval track, and graphite is sprinkled on the floor to decrease friction. A rubber bumper surrounds each vehicle, and drivers ram each other as they travel. The controls are usually an accelerator and a steering wheel. The cars can be made to go backwards by turning the steering wheel far enough in either direction, necessary in the frequent pile-ups that occur. Standard features include hot-galvanized steel frame, car body with multi-color paint fused into the fiberglass, protected electrical system, patented clutch-free motor manufactured in-house, available with floor pick-up system, token acceptor and a variety of standard themes including: Antique Car, Cat, Mouse, Buffalo, Cow Boar, Ram, and Horse.

How do bumper cars work?

Newton's third law of motion comes into play on the bumper cars. This law, the law of interaction, says that if one body exerts a force on a second body, the second body exerts a force equal in magnitude and opposite in direction on the first body. It's the law of action-reaction, and it helps to explain why you feel a jolt when you collide with another bumper car. Bumper car rides are designed so that the cars can collide without much danger to the riders. Each car has a large rubber bumper all around it, which prolongs the impact and diffuses the force of the collision. The bumper cars run on electricity, carried by a pole on the back of the car that leads up to a wire grid in the ride's ceiling. This grid carries the electricity that runs the car. Electrical energy carried to the cars from the grid is converted to kinetic energy, some of which is converted to heat.

What happens to the drivers?

When bumper cars collide, the drivers feel a change in their motion and become aware of their inertia. Though the cars themselves may stop or change direction, the drivers continue in the direction they were moving before the collision. This is why it's important to wear a seat belt while driving a real car, since otherwise you could suffer injury being thrown forward in a collision. The masses of the drivers also affect the collisions. A difference in mass between two bumper car riders will mean that one rider experiences more change in motion than the other (or more of a jolt). The type of collision, velocity of the cars, and mass of the individual drivers all come into play in bumper car collisions.

Safety tips for bumper cars riding.

The age group for bumper cars riding is a very large age group. Riders that are 4 to 8 years old should be in cars that go NO faster than 5 mph. Bumper cars riders should ride in certain size cars. Ride manufacturers make different size cars. For slower, children's sized cars, riders should be shorter than 48 inches, and at the very tallest- shorter than 52 inches. The riders should be at least 36 inches tall. The reason they should be at least 36 inches, is because bumper cars are usually rider controlled, and 36 inches is the height that the cars are usually made so the rider can reach the "gas" pedal. For bigger bumper cars, children who are between 44 and 52 inches tall can be a passenger with an adult driving. Drivers usually have to be at least 48 inches tall to drive a car safely, since the cars are usually made for a 48 inch tall driver. This is also for safety, since there is a lap bar, or seat belts which can restrict a driver from reaching the pedal below 48 inches, and may put the driver in a dangerous position. And also it’s not a good idea if you are pregnant to drive bumper cars. Because you're essentially colliding over and over again. When that happens, your belly will crash against the seat belt, the steering wheel, and the bumper-car dashboard. That kind of trauma can result in bleeding or placental abruption, and that's dangerous for you and your baby. Bumper cars are much too violent to ride in if you know you're pregnant. Imagine the fetus being thrown about in there. Just as in a car accident, should you be thrown against the steering wheel or out of the car, serious damage could occur to your fetus and of course you. A ruptured uterus— which would be very serious and life-threatening to you and the baby — may occur due to hemorrhage.