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If you’ve ever filed into a car with your closest cohorts, you’ve likely played a silly game. It’s “shotgun,” the dibs-esque call-out for the coveted front seat in a vehicle. So, just how can you make sure you’re making a call for a ride shotgun the right way? Check out these rules we’ve collected for driving in that favored front seat.

Don’t bother trying to ride shotgun unless you earn that coveted seat with these rules

As silly as it sounds, there are rules behind the time-honored shotgun ride in a car populated with your best buddies. For starters, (and thankfully so) safety dictates that a literal shotgun has no place in a competition for the front seat of a car. Now that the obvious and disastrous declaration is out of the way, we can get down to it.

By definition, calling a ride for shotgun is your claim to the front passenger seat of a car. It might be your friend, family member, or acquaintance in the driver’s seat, but you want that front seat. Admittedly, there may be a method behind the madness. For starters, the front-seat passenger often acts as the en-route DJ. That means control over the tunes for the trip.

However, unless you’re ready to ruin some friendships in the process, the rules matter. As such, make sure you have these irrefutable laws of accepting the responsibility to “ride shotgun.”

  • You must call shotgun before a challenger
  • An interested party can’t be the driver (duh)
  • You can’t call shotgun before a ride in the car is implied
  • Callers must be outside to claim a ride in the shotgun seat
  • You can’t call shotgun after someone else calls it unless you can contest their call

Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. That is, if you want to get needlessly complicated as if running a frat game. For instance, players who routinely alter their behavior to get outside and in sight of a car to call shotgun are sometimes referred to as “gapers,” per Shotgunrules. However, while “gapers” cannot be denied a shotgun ride every time, the petty grab at the seat can alienate you from your car-mates. Still, these are silly guidelines. 

Finally, I likely don’t need to remind you that “shotgun for life” simply isn’t a thing. More specifically, think twice about endangering your friendships based on a ride in a car.

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Staff Writer

Erik Sherman

Erik Sherman joined the MotorBiscuit team as an Autos Writer in 2022. An admitted petrolhead and an avid motorcyclist, Erik has owned everything from classic cars to motorcycles to modern driver’s cars. Erik also has extensive experience with military and emergency vehicles, ranging from ambulances and fire engines to MRAPs and M-ATVs. Erik is an eager car and motorcycle reviewer with experience covering everything from sports cars to pontoon boats and jet skis.

Erik holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations (IRG) from the University of Texas at Austin and has studied Chinese, Energy, and European Politics at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Erik’s background is unorthodox; he is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) combat veteran, water survival practitioner, and a former firefighter/EMT. Additionally, Erik is a regular volunteer and former instructor with the American Red Cross (ARC).