New research suggests backseat drivers aren’t as bad as first thought

A study in New Zealand by the University of Waikato psychology professor Samuel Charlton, a co-author of research for the Automobile Association has found that there are certain ways to be helpful to drivers from the passenger seat.

Back seat drivers just need to behave in the right way Professor Charlton told New Zealand public broadcaster RNZ.

"There's this perception out there that passengers can be distracting, nagging and so-forth, but after the age of 24 having a passenger in your car actually decreases the chance you're going to have a crash."

592 Kiwis took part in the study which looked at the behaviours of passengers and whether they were indeed helpful and not distracting to the driver’s ability to navigate the vehicle safely.

The study found that helpful passengers tended to do things like point out potential hazards the driver might not have seen, check in on the driver to make sure they’re not too tired or impaired to drive. They also tended to help with non-driving tasks like music, air-conditioning, food and drinks as well as directions.

While the unhelpful passengers tended to comment on driving style, or about other road user’s behaviour, focus on things that the driver can’t change like traffic holdups, they tell the driver to speed up, honk their horn or run a red light. And a pet peeve of any driver, passengers that make unexpected loud sounds that surprise the driver.

The study also found that the back seat advice given by passengers and asked for by the driver depends on gender.

Female passengers were found to be more likely to offer advice to male drivers while male passengers rarely offered advice to a male driver. Although male drivers were more likely to ask for support if their passenger was also male.

So what should you do before heading off on a road trip or just down to the supermarket with a known backseat driver? Professor Charlton suggests that it is important to have a conversation with your passengers about what is expected and what would be helpful before the journey begins.

We very much have our own thoughts on the matter of good passenger etiquette which you can find here in Five things that passengers are expected to do as well as Five things you should never touch in someone else's car. Safe travels!

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