What’s a backseat driver?

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A backseat driver is a person who gives unwanted or unnecessary advice. The term rear seat driver can literally mean someone who unnecessarily advises a driver where or how to drive. People who drive taxis or limousines would generally have a back seat driver in the more literal sense of the literal meaning since their passengers tend to ride in the back seat.

Since those who get paid to drive for a living can reasonably be expected to possess a certain amount of experience, both in location scouting and general driving skills, a backseat driver can be an extreme irritant. Being told how to drive or how to get somewhere removes respect for the professionalism of the driver.

More often, a rear seat driver sits in the front seat, right next to the driver. This could be a spouse or a friend who might comment on the speed at which a car is being driven or the lack of compliance with the rules of the road. Instead, a spousal rear seat driver might make little moans or squeals about a driving experience. Again, backseat driver advice is unwanted and often unwarranted.

In a more figurative sense, the backseat driver is a person who interferes in other people’s personal lives by giving unnecessary advice or making unflattering comments about the way one “manages” one’s existence. Sometimes family members or close friends may be known rear seat drivers in this regard. They seem to have all the answers and can clearly outline all of a person’s problems.

A statement that begins with “You know the problem with you is…” usually means one is about to get annoying advice from a backseat driver. These critical statements, while perhaps nicely meant, are antithetical to type because they are critical. They also imply that the backseat driver has little faith in another person’s ability to solve problems. When possible, these comments should be ignored.

An expression related to the rear seat driver is “taking a back seat” to another person. This usually means that one allows the focus and attention to be on the “driver” person. For example, an artistic mother might take a back seat so attention is paid to her children’s artistic endeavors. If one takes a back seat, this is not always a negative. It can be quite nice to allow someone else to be the center of attention for a while.

However, the back seat driver will rarely actually occupy the back seat. He or she knows other people’s weaknesses and how to fix them, and should be the center of attention. A perfect example of the literal and figurative backseat driver occurs in the movie Driving Miss Daisy.

Miss Daisy harasses and harangues her chauffeur, Mr. Coburn. When he stops the car so she can go to the bathroom, he finally refuses to sit in Miss Daisy’s backseat by insisting that at least she is forbidden from telling him when she needs to use the bathroom. This effectively shuts down Miss Daisy for a few moments; although her condition as a backseat driver is relatively incurable.

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