Back seat driver
Encyclopedia
A backseat driver is a vehicle
passenger who is not controlling the vehicle, and seems to be uncomfortable with the skills of the driver
and/or wants to tutor the driver while the driver is at the wheel.
Some backseat drivers exhibit this type of behavior simply because they feel unsafe or out of control since they are not driving the vehicle and therefore are nervous and jumpy and overly eager to give suggestions and criticism about the driver's actions. The Maine Department of Transportation has a web poster "Are you a Good Back Seat Driver?" asking "True or False: Being a Backseat Driver means it is okay to be noisy or distracting to the driver as long as you are giving them safety tips." The Inland Register produced by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane makes use of it in a sermon: "Even our phrase 'back-seat driver' reflects this new-found freedom. Which of us who has graduated to the status of driver enjoys a passenger, especially one out of reach in the back seat, who seems to know how to drive better than we do?"
The Art of being a Backseat Driver in the San Bernardino County Sun summarizes various comments of the sort otherwise found in multiple blogs. Some are specialized, such as the Back Seat Driving blog, formerly the "LA Car Blog".
A famous example of a back seat driver is Hyacinth Bucket
on the British
sitcom Keeping Up Appearances
. The term is also used in Backseat Drivers from Beyond the Stars, an episode of Invader Zim
. A poem "The Backseat Driver" by Parick G Hughes appears in the Northern Ireland BBC
.
It is even used as a deliberate game. In All things Considered on NPR
for July 19, 2006, there is an account of a "Back Seat Driver competition in Forest City, Iowa. [...] The event—in which a driver races backward while blindfolded and instructed by the voice of a companion over an intercom—is in its eighth year." It has even been noticed by People's Daily
.
of April 7, 2007, discusses how "The ascendant blogosphere has rattled the news media with its tough critiques and nonstop scrutiny of their reporting." It is an especially common use in articles dealing with the automobile industry, as in The Backseat Driver gets his Way: Bernd Pischetsrieder Quits as Boss of Europe's Biggest Carmaker in The Economist
for Nov. 9, 2006.
This term can be used in many of the same situations as backseat driver.
Vehicle
A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....
passenger who is not controlling the vehicle, and seems to be uncomfortable with the skills of the driver
Driving
Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a land vehicle, such as a car, truck or bus.Although direct operation of a bicycle and a mounted animal are commonly referred to as riding, such operators are legally considered drivers and are required to obey the rules of the road...
and/or wants to tutor the driver while the driver is at the wheel.
Some backseat drivers exhibit this type of behavior simply because they feel unsafe or out of control since they are not driving the vehicle and therefore are nervous and jumpy and overly eager to give suggestions and criticism about the driver's actions. The Maine Department of Transportation has a web poster "Are you a Good Back Seat Driver?" asking "True or False: Being a Backseat Driver means it is okay to be noisy or distracting to the driver as long as you are giving them safety tips." The Inland Register produced by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane makes use of it in a sermon: "Even our phrase 'back-seat driver' reflects this new-found freedom. Which of us who has graduated to the status of driver enjoys a passenger, especially one out of reach in the back seat, who seems to know how to drive better than we do?"
The Art of being a Backseat Driver in the San Bernardino County Sun summarizes various comments of the sort otherwise found in multiple blogs. Some are specialized, such as the Back Seat Driving blog, formerly the "LA Car Blog".
A famous example of a back seat driver is Hyacinth Bucket
Hyacinth Bucket
Hyacinth Bucket, who insists her last name is pronounced "Bouquet" , is the main character in the BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances , played by Patricia Routledge.-Personality:...
on the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
sitcom Keeping Up Appearances
Keeping Up Appearances
Keeping Up Appearances is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC. Centred on the life of eccentric, social-climbing snob Hyacinth Bucket , the sitcom portrays a social hierarchy-ruled British society...
. The term is also used in Backseat Drivers from Beyond the Stars, an episode of Invader Zim
Invader Zim
Invader Zim is an American animated television series created by Jhonen Vasquez. It was produced by and subsequently aired on Nickelodeon. The series revolves around an extraterrestrial named Zim from the planet Irk, and his ongoing mission to conquer and destroy Earth...
. A poem "The Backseat Driver" by Parick G Hughes appears in the Northern Ireland BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
It is even used as a deliberate game. In All things Considered on NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
for July 19, 2006, there is an account of a "Back Seat Driver competition in Forest City, Iowa. [...] The event—in which a driver races backward while blindfolded and instructed by the voice of a companion over an intercom—is in its eighth year." It has even been noticed by People's Daily
People's Daily
The People's Daily is a daily newspaper in the People's Republic of China. The paper is an organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China , published worldwide with a circulation of 3 to 4 million. In addition to its main Chinese-language edition, it has editions in English,...
.
In a more technological sense
The term has also been used for devices installed in a car, which observe the driving through electronic means, and inform the driver or a third party. Back Seat Drivers are moving Up Front by Anne Eisenberg in The New York Times, February 4, 2007.In a figurative sense
The term is also used allusively, for a person who gives advice and instructions about what he or she is not responsible for, and may not well understand. For example, Journalism's Back Seat Drivers in American Journalism ReviewAmerican Journalism Review
The American Journalism Review is a U.S. magazine covering topics in journalism. It is published six times a year by the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park. The AJR has been owned since the late 1980s by a foundation of the university...
of April 7, 2007, discusses how "The ascendant blogosphere has rattled the news media with its tough critiques and nonstop scrutiny of their reporting." It is an especially common use in articles dealing with the automobile industry, as in The Backseat Driver gets his Way: Bernd Pischetsrieder Quits as Boss of Europe's Biggest Carmaker in The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
for Nov. 9, 2006.
Related idioms
Armchair quarterback refers to a sports fan who seems to know better than the players themselves and is always eager to shout advice whether he/she be live at the game or more commonly sitting at home in their chair. (hence "armchair")This term can be used in many of the same situations as backseat driver.
External links
- Android.com Android app called "Back Seat Driver".
- Cartoonstock.com collection of cartoons on back seat drivers.
- click on "Back Seat Driver" bottom right