The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 2 plus 6 letter word IN CHARGE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
I
N
C
H
A
R
G
E
More clues leading to the result IN CHARGE
- As conductor is, hearing principal of cellos going wrong
- Controlling what one arrested may be given
- Reaching new position of authority
- Leading chap’s first to enter organised hearing
- Accusation after having been elected and bearing authority?
- Commanding batting attack
- Managing care home, initially
- Taking the driving seat, change gear after a short distance
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Taking the driving seat" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case taking the driving seat = in charge.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.