AA Insurance’s latest motor survey1 found a whopping 82% of Kiwis admit to being a backseat driver, with almost half (45%) saying they do it regularly. A third of motorists felt that having an overzealous backseat driver negatively affected their driving.
Backseat driving behaviours can include sudden reactions to the driver’s decision-making behind the wheel, navigation interjections, and providing unsolicited driving advice – to name a few.
AA Insurance Head of Motor Claims, Beau Paparoa, says, “Many of us have experienced a passenger who believes they’re providing “helpful” advice, or we’re guilty of being an overly enthusiastic backseat driver ourselves.
“While commentary and driving feedback might be well-meaning from passengers, our survey suggests it can turn even the calmest car trip into a distracting experience for drivers, impacting their ability to focus on the road,” said Paparoa.
Interestingly, the survey revealed a gender divide with 51% of women fessing up to regularly being backseat drivers, compared to only 39% of men.
37% of women said their driving was negatively impacted by having a backseat driver in the car when they are the one behind the wheel2, compared to 28% of men.
AA Insurance is reminding passengers to rethink their role in the car – including what they can do to foster a supportive and calm environment for the driver.
“We know drivers already face a raft of other distractions – such as the behaviours of other road users, roadworks and the temptation to glance at your phone or change the music.
“While there may be times when a backseat driver’s input is welcome or worthwhile – such as spotting hazards or calling out bad behaviours like speeding – overdoing it when the driver is otherwise driving well can become overwhelming and even increase the risk of accidents if a driver becomes distracted by you,” said Paparoa.
“As the roads get busier as Kiwis head away this summer, we are encouraging passengers to support drivers by staying calm, creating a positive road trip environment and offering help only when necessary, so we can all arrive out our destinations safely this summer.”
1 AA Insurance research conducted by Kantar. A nationally representative sample of over 972 New Zealand drivers (aged 18+) completed an online survey in October 2024 (margin of error 3.1%)
2 33% responded that back seat drivers had a negative impact on their driving. This was 28% amongst males and 37% amongst females.
About AA Insurance
AA Insurance is an independently operated, New Zealand-based joint venture between the New Zealand Automobile Association Limited (NZAA) and Vero Insurance New Zealand Limited (VINZL). Since 1994 we have demonstrated trusted expertise in home, contents and car insurance in New Zealand, and in 2018 introduced commercial small business insurance. We underwrite our own policies and sell direct to New Zealanders. Our 1000+ employees look after 500,000+ customers with more than 1,000,000 policies.
We proudly partner with Variety New Zealand – the Children’s Charity (as the lead partner of its Beds for Kids programme), Student Volunteer Army and support grassroot school sports via our Big Little Sponsorship sports grant in partnership with Eden Park. We are consistently recognised in industry awards and honours, including being voted the Reader’s Digest Most Trusted General Insurer for 14 years running, named Canstar’s 2023 Home and Contents Insurer of the Year, 2023-2024 Canstar Outstanding Value for Home and Contents, 2024 Outstanding Value Car Insurance and their inaugural most Satisfied Customers Car Insurance Claims award. We are currently ranked 6th amongst 100 of New Zealand’s most successful companies in the Kantar Corporate Reputation Index (since 2015) and placed fourth in the 2024 Kantar Customer Leadership Index.
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AA Insurance Media Team
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