According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “a backseat driver is someone who gives unwanted advice or who tries to control something that is supposed to be controlled by someone else.”
Wikipedia published a study in 2018 and found that 70% of motorists said that backseat driving was annoying and spouses/significant other were most often to blame. They stated further that 21% of arguments stemmed from unwanted comments from a backseat driver.
Do you know someone who should take a back seat to being a backseat driver in your vehicle? Perhaps you have even thought about not giving them a seat in the vehicle with you at all? Have you had an overwhelming desire to turn the music up, perhaps to even sing along in order to tune them out?
Stopping the vehicle and asking the backseat driver to drive -may stop them from commenting and if not- try asking them to get out and walk if they feel that unsafe with you in the vehicle, assuming you are not far from your destination. Some men carry stereotypes over females being terrible drivers. It’s terrible but I am afraid it is true and I am just addressing the elephant in the room, or should I say-the car?! Oh hold on a sec, elephants don’t fit in cars! The NY Times shared an article about women being safer drivers than men, in 2020. In 2022, Net star Tech Data shared that sentiment attributing men to having more road rage, increased speeds, and driving confidence, whereas women drive less at night and typically enjoy driving shorter distances, or being able to avoid rush hour traffic due to remote work. Insurance companies are giving women cheaper insurance rates due to research collected from claims.
How do you deal with a backseat driver? Have you stopped to ask them if they feel unsafe? Have they specifically mentioned what it is you do while driving that makes them feel unsafe? If not, ask them to communicate what they are truly feeling. Perhaps they do not like having someone else be in control of a vehicle.
Resources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/27/well/live/car-accidents-deaths-men-women.html
Merriam-Webster/dictionary
Wikipedia
