History Main / BackseatDriver

* Perhaps the epitome of a HenpeckedHusband, Richard Bucket ([[ItsPronouncedTroPay pronounced "Bouquet"]]) suffers this from his wife in ''KeepingUpAppearances''.

When a passenger gives constant advice or orders to the person behind the wheel. The HenpeckedHusband's wife or mother-in-law will do this a LOT. The LogicalExtreme is a passenger who actually grabs for car controls (usually the wheel). In RealLife, there ''are'' legal consequences for this.[[note]]Usually, the person who grabs the controls assumes responsibility for the vehicle, which means they are to blame if the vehicle crashes, but have not broken the law if they take over from a suddenly incapacitated driver.[[/note]]

* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales'', "[[Recap/DuckTalesS2E2SuperDuckTales Super [=DuckTales=]]]": When Launchpad is attempting to start the U.S.S. ''Jumpstart'', both Scrooge and [=GizmoDuck=] yell instructions at him from their chairs. Launchpad dismissively calls them "backseat astronauts."

* ''Film/IndependenceDay'' has the space ship variant where Creator/JeffGoldblum constantly shouts orders to WillSmith who tells him not to be a "side-seat driver".

[[caption-width-right:350:A literal version of the old phrase.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:How do you suppose she sees past his head?]]

[[caption-width--right:350:How do you suppose she sees past his head?]]

* The ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' GaidenGame ''GorkaMorka'' had a skill called Backseat Driver. When a character with the skill was in a vehicle the driver could use their stats instead of his own for some driving checks.

* A severaly injured and distressed Dwight [=McCarthy=] becomes one in the ''SinCity'' story ''A Dame To Kill For''. Subverted in that Marv, the driver, takes his advice.

[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/TexAveryMGMCartoons http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Backseat_drivers_4901.png]]]]

* Played with twice in ''Film/TomorrowNeverDies''. Needing a quick escape, Bond is forced to dive into the rear seat of his BMW and drive it from a cell phone screen. Lampshaded with the soundtrack title. Later, both he and Wei Lin are handcuffed together and must jointly ride a motorcycle, complete with bickering.

* Averted in ''Literature/TheSilkworm''. Protagonist Cormoran strike lets his pretty assistant drive on the Motorway because of his prosthetic lower leg; when they encounter a dangerous collision close up, he tries to emergeny-coach her. It turns out that [[HypercompetentSidekick Robin has taken advanced driving classes]] and handles the danger far better than he ever could have.

[[AC:Literature]]

* Averted in "Literature/TheSilkworm". Protagonist Cormoran strike lets his pretty assistant drive on the Motorway because of his prosthetic lower leg; when they encounter a dangerous collision close up, he tries to emergeny-coach her. It turns out that [[HypercompetentSidekick Robin has taken advanced driving classes]] and handles the danger far better than he ever could have.

* Heavily averted in "Literature/TheSilkworm". Protagonist Cormoran strike lets his pretty assistant drive on the Motorway because of his prosthetic lower leg; when they encounter a dangerous collision close up, he tries to emergeny-coach her. It turns out that [[HypercompetentSidekick Robin has taken advanced driving classes]] and handles the danger far better than he ever could have.

* The [[{{Warhammer40000}} Warhammer 40,000]] GaidenGame GorkaMorka had a skill called Backseat Driver. When a character with the skill was in a vehicle the driver could use their stats instead of his own for some driving checks.

* An early episode of ''KimPossible'', Mr Barkin is driving several students in the school's Driver's Ed car, who keep commenting on his driving.

* ''DrivingMissDaisy'' - Daisy starts off like this because she is angry about needing a chauffeur.
* In ''BroadcastNews'', Jane gives specific, practically turn-by-turn directions to cabbies on a regular basis as part of her "need to be in control at all times"[[BuffySpeak -ness]].

* ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}} Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted]]'':

* ''ItsAMadMadMadMadWorld'' - Milton Berle's character has his mother-in law (Ethel Merman) taking this role to heart in a race to buried treasure. She bellows "We're the ones in the ''Imperial'' and we're in ''last place?''" Later, she continues barking orders to different drivers in different vehicles.

** Comedy example: ''TheNakedGun'' has Frank [[FlashedBadgeHijack entering a vehicle asking them to]] FollowThatCar... and it's a [[DrivingTestSmashers driving school car]].
** Serious example: ''{{Taken}} 2'' has Bryan guiding his daughter Kim as he both checks the GPS on directions to the US Embassy and fires some shots at times.

* FairlyOddParents (episode "Spaced Out") proves this trope applies to spaceships as well.

* Heavily averted in TheSilkworm. Protagonist Cormoran strike lets his pretty assistant drive on the Motorway because of his prosthetic lower leg; when they encounter a dangerous collision close up, he tries to emergeny-coach her. It turns out that Robin has taken advanced driving classes and handles the danger far better than he ever could have.

[[quoteright:350:[[Creator/TexAvery http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Backseat_drivers_4901.png]]]]