In the driver's seat

Posted by Smokey Stover March 26, 2008 at 08:03:In reply to In the driver's seat posted by Lizzie on March 25, 2008 at 08:58:

What is the origin of the idiom, 'in the driver's seat'?

I don't see how one can look for the origin. As soon as there was a driver's seat there must have been someone to use it in a phrase, such as, "You're in the driver's seat now. It's up to you to decide where we're going next." Mind you, I'm talking about the metaphorical use of the phrase as well as the literal.
SS