Back up and don’t be a backseat driver! Or send this to your own backseat driver.
Be ensured to never commit these 5 ”backseat driving felonies”:
1. You might be a cautious passenger and worry that the driver doesn’t notice other cars on the road. Constantly telling the driver to ”watch out” for other cars isn’t going to make them more aware on the road, it will probably just annoy them. If you make sudden movements or act as if you are in danger, the driver may become overwhelmed which can in effect cause an accident.
2. We all understand some songs are overplayed on the radio and Justin Bieber can be a little too much for some people, so you decide to switch it over..and again..and again..Changing the radio station or the song the whole time is not a good idea! This can distract the driver and it might also get them into fiddling with the switches themselves. If this is the case, kindly point out that the driver should rather focus on the road – which will make you a backseat driver so rather just let the music play.
3. If you’ve just discovered an extremely funny video on Twitter of a cat, rather wait until you have reached your destination to show the driver. If the driver takes their eyes of the road, even for a second, it can put everyone in a lot of danger. It goes without saying that the driver should also not text and drive!
4. If you are assigned to navigation duties, be sure to alert the driver of any direction changes ahead of time. If you tell someone to ”turn left HERE”, there might not be time to yield or indicate to other drivers that you are about to turn left. You can only think of the implications this can have.
5. Avoid road rage, especially when you are the passenger. The driver might already be a little annoyed with other drivers, it’s a bad idea to enhance this by also acting annoyed. Rather keep calm, this will also bring the driver into a calm state. Courtesy and consideration are as much part of being a good driver as being alert and cautious.
The next time you drive with someone, rather refrain from being a backseat driver! Also remember that safety comes first, so if you feel unsafe in the car because the driver is under the influence of alcohol, speeding, driving recklessly etc. you should rather ask the driver to be more cautious or stop at the next safe place and phone a friend to come pick you up.
(Source: AA’s Gary Ronald)