What is "back-seat driver"

alt. 1 A person sitting (typically) in the back seat of a car issuing (unsolicited and usually unwanted) instructions to the driver. 2 (context figuratively English) An opinionated person who offers (unsolicited and often unwanted) advice on the best way to handle a situation. n. 1 A person sitting (typically) in the back seat of a car issuing (unsolicited and usually unwanted) instructions to the driver. 2 (context figuratively English) An opinionated person who offers (unsolicited and often unwanted) advice on the best way to handle a situation.

A backseat driver is a passenger in a vehicle who is not controlling the vehicle but who excessively comments on the driver's actions and decisions in an attempt to control the vehicle. A backseat driver may be uncomfortable with the skills of the driver, feel out of control since they are not driving the vehicle, or want to tutor the driver while they are at the wheel. Many comment on the speed of the vehicle, or give alternative directions.

Some backseat drivers exhibit this type of behavior simply because they feel the driver is taking risks they would not normally take, while others may have other reasons to be nervous, such as when the driver has a poor driving record. However, the practice is somewhat dangerous and instead more likely to cause crashes, according to the Daily Mail, citing a 'Driver Distraction' study by Esure.

The term is also used allusively for any person who intervenes with advice and instructions in affairs they are not responsible for, or subjects they may not understand well. This is in a manner similar to "armchair professional" terms like armchair general. For example, Barb Palser in the American Journalism Review article comments that "The ascendant blogosphere has rattled the news media with its tough critiques and nonstop scrutiny of their reporting." Similarly, it has been used to describe interference from people in business, such as excessive micromanagement.