Can't being a back seat passenger be positive?

A back seat passenger on an intensive course perhaps.

Under certain circumstances there is indeed an advantage to be taken from being a back seat passenger in a tuition vehicle. If you are taking training at a higher level, or intensively for many hours per day, then there is an advantage to spending some time in the back seat as a passenger.

Generally speaking the question of back seat passengers crops up most in conversations with pupils about standard driving lessons where the pupil takes one or two lessons per week. In this case I have to say that no, I do not believe that being a back seat passenger does any good at all.

If you are expecting to take part in an intensive course where you are going to complete a large number of hours training in a week for example, or perhaps training at a higher level where you would also expect to spend several hours in the same day in a car, then there is a benefit to be taken from observing as a back seat passenger.

The difference in the two situations above is that the first intensive course is probably for a standard driving licence whereas the second course of more advanced training might be as part of instructor training for example. Both of the examples above have one thing in common. While the person in the front is trying their best to improve the back seat passenger is gaining a benefit from observing as someone else tries to do exactly the same thing that they are trying to achieve themselves. That is where the advantage comes from.

It is only if both pupils are at the same stage and studying the same part of a course that any advantage can be gained from being a back seat passenger.

I personally only approve on a ratio of one pupil to one instructor in a vehicle for any type of training.