This is the shocking moment a toddler accidentally started an electric cargo trike, causing it to accelerate away.

Dramatic CCTV footage shows the young boy sitting in the cargo bed of the red tricycle truck, surrounded by bystanders on a roadside in Sichuan, China.

Moments later, he climbed into the driver's seat and managed to turn the ignition before twisting the throttle on December 21.

The electric three-wheeler bolted forward across the pavement, colliding with two parked scooters.

Pedestrians and the boy's parents were seen frantically chasing the vehicle in an attempt to engage the brakes.

They managed to halt the trike just in time, only inches away from striking a yellow planter box.

The child did not sustain any injuries from what happened.