I was wondering the same thing myself this week at the carnival, so I asked my great uncle who works for the carnival that was here in town (now he just sells tickets but in his younger days he was a ride operator). By luck, it turns out that he used to run the bumper cars. He told me that the potential difference hot (ceiling) to ground/neutral is 440V AC. I'm not going to guarantee that answer - it's just what he said. Could be different for different bumper car rides also. Regarding electrocution from it - he told me that once he was working on the ceiling while the ride was hot (which you can do - he had no contact with ground remember so no circuit was formed through his body), when getting down he accidentally touched the fence around the ride (grounded) while he was still holding on to the ceiling. He said it threw him off and he was about 10 feet away lying on the ground next thing he knew. I think that's a lesson in turn off the power before you work on electrical systems...

The motors on most bumper cars built in the last 50 years are designed to operate on 48 or 90 volts DC, or 115 volts Ac. Voltage is not what kills you. It is amperage. Since it only requires 1/4 of an amp or more to stop your heart and the amperage required to operate the motors is much higher, the answer is yes. You would be electrocuted.

Firstly regarding the voltage, some systems are indeed different voltages and current, Even if you had the highest permissable 110v single phase and you touched the live grid, with dry shoes and socks on you would not even get a shock, at best maybe a slight tingle, indeed it is the current that causes the damge to us, but without sufficient voltage and a low resistance ( ie good conductor )current is unable to flow. We as humans in general do not conduct voltages under 230v that well, especially with shoes on. Most domestic shocks 240v occur hand to hand, ie one hand live and the other on ground ( meatal )this can be dangerous and the current can flow.Infact if you touch the live wire in your home and no part of you is touching anything else and your shoes are plastic you wont even feel it.But as soon as a part of you, say you touch a water pipe with the other hand at that point you will get a whollope! DON'T DO IT. In factual terms this is what cauld happen: If you removed your shoes and socks and stood on the meatalic floor and could some how reach the grid with your hand and touch it, it would tingle, if you squeeze the grid harder it will begin to tingle to the point of being uncomfortable. if you come straight out of the salty sea absoulutly saturated with water and did the same, you would lower you resistance allowing more current to flow through you and 80 milli amp could well pass through your heart causing big problems.NOT RECOMMENDED !and get thrown a few feet. In experiments I have done you really need a good 630 DC volts to get somke and flames to burst out of skin when dry. As with most low voltage shocks it is usually the unexpected feeling that can make us wobble and fall off ladders ect, voltages of 415 and over are very dangerous as our skin will blemish on the surface causing a burn, once the skin is damaged current can flow though our blood and exit to ground ( or the other phases )causing flash and bang! Bumper cars will not operate on 415v as this is comprised of 2 and 3 phases.I have found info that would suggest 115 and 230v systems were used. now days it is probable that most are a lower voltage. One must respect electricity, but being used to 400,000v in the MVA range, 230v seems like a AA battery to me :) Play safe chaps.

Refer to this supplier: http://kaile.manufacturer.globalsources.com/si/6008826215363/Showroom/3000000181886/21095/Toy-car.htm They have both 50VDC and 90VDC versions. If you touch the terminals of 50VDC, you'll feel a strong tingle. If you touch 90VDC, you'll feel a very strong tingle. Both *could* kill you, depending on the circumstances. Say for example you have sweaty hands (salt water conducts well) and you grab two large pipes (lots of conducting surface area) that have 50VDC between then. Since your heart is roughly in the path of your two hands, it could stop your heart. Not too likely with 50VDC, quite possible with 90VDC. With dry hands and only slight contact (brushing up against the terminals) you'll simply scare yourself from the slight shock. In the end - don't worry. You're more likely to lose your lunch on the rides than your life :)

Here are the specs on our Bumper Cars. BUILDING : Input: 230 volts, 1 phase, 60 Hz. 157 amps CARS: DC Motor, 40 to 70 volts, 3 amps RECTIFIER: 220 V, 1 phase,variable voltage 40 to 70 amp, 300 amp 100% duty cycle SCENERY:30 panels, 80 amps total scenery POWER REQUIREMENTS: 200 AMP SERVICE