From a media release:
The #1 Series on Specialty Television – CANADA’S WORST DRIVER – Returns to Discovery Channel on October 24 for a Maple-Flavoured 7th Season
- Chat LIVE during the show @DiscoveryCanada (#CWD)
Oh Canada, buckle up! CANADA’S WORST DRIVER is back. Returning for a gear-grinding, bumper-busting seventh season, the #1 series on specialty television returns to Discovery Channel, Monday, October 24 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The new season is all-Canadian, in style and in substance – from the maple leaves, red-and-white, and plaid flannel; to the “icy corner†and “snow plough†driving challenges. With a weekly reach of more than 3.8 million viewers last Fall*, the smash hit series returns with writer and host Andrew Younghusband and features new drivers, new challenges and countless cringe-inducing and water cooler-worthy moments. The experience continues online with exclusive content at Worstdriver.ca and interactive LIVE chats every Monday night @DiscoveryCanada (#CWD). It’s going to be a bumpy ride, eh?
Since its debut in 2005, more than 50 drivers have undergone CANADA’S WORST DRIVER’s unique brand of intensive rehabilitation. And yet, there is no shortage of delinquent drivers still terrorizing Canadian roadways! Hitting the highways in search of this year’s biggest offenders behind the wheel, CANADA’S WORST DRIVER 7 put the brakes on eight dreadful drivers – hailing from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia – and sent them to driver rehab to make Canada’s roads just a little safer.
CANADA’S WORST DRIVER 7 follows these eight drivers – each nominated by a friend or family member – as they are put through their paces in a controlled driving environment and evaluated by a panel of driving experts. Each episode features tried-and-tested challenges with a Canadian-themed twist, plus speed performance fundamentals designed to push the drivers to their limits and teach them crucial safe driving skills. Each driver must master basic training and more advanced techniques for dealing with Canada’s trickiest driving situations before graduating from rehab. Can their bad behind-the-wheel behaviours be curbed with expert coaching and a little cajoling?
Hauled off Canada’s highways, these eight disastrous drivers head to the Driver Rehabilitation Centre. There, they meet the team of experts, including: Cam Woolley, traffic expert and former OPP sergeant, returning for a seventh season; Philippe Létourneau, a professional high-performance driving instructor, back for a fourth season; and Peter Mellor, an instructor with the Advanced Motoring Bureau (AMB) who joins the panel for a third season. And new to Season 7, relationship therapist Shyamala Kiru brings a new perspective and context to the panel, revealing how these unsafe driving practices are threatening these drivers’ personal relationships. These experts have their work cut out for them as they put the drivers through their paces. Each week, one driver will earn the right to merge back onto Canada’s roadways, until there is only one unlucky driver left at the side of the road, owning the dubious title of Canada’s Worst Driver.
Behind the wheel for Season 7, the participants are:
- Ben, from Surrey, BC, was nominated by his wife, Jan. Ben’s lack of understanding behind the wheel is driving a wedge between them – they no longer enjoy being in the car together. Ben also drives a stick shift… but he really shouldn’t.
- Tab, from Calgary, AB, is extremely nervous and highly emotional behind the wheel. Her boyfriend, Matt, hopes that expert coaching will help her gain confidence and conquer her fears behind the wheel.
- Aaron, from Calgary, AB, bought to rehab by his father, Lee. In 2005, Aaron was blindsided by a reckless driver in a near-fatal accident that put Aaron in a coma for two months. When he woke up, Aaron could not remember his own father. Or how to walk. Or drive. While he never lost his license, Aaron needs to regain skills and confidence.
- Sly, from Lethbridge, AB, is a deliveryman who has difficulty with directions and relies on his phone’s GPS system to get the job done. He has been brought to rehab by his brother-in-law, Fred, over concerns that Sly is addicted to his technological driving devices.
- Lauri, from Prince Albert, SK, is an animal lover and goes everywhere with her two dogs, cat and bird in the car. Her fiancé Shaun wants Lauri to realize the dangers of this habit and understand that she needs to change her ways.
- Jon, from Bowmanville, ON, just might be Canada’s most dangerous driver. With one of the cockiest attitudes ever seen on the series, Jon is in desperate need of rehab. A dangerous speeder, he is addicted to the rush and adrenaline – his girlfriend Elise wants him to curb his behaviours before considering a future and family together.
- Afiya, from Montreal, QC, is content to hog the road, run red lights and make pedestrians scatter. Her friend Cindy insists she needs help, but Afiya heads rehab to prove her friends and family wrong.
- Shirley, from Port Caledonia, NS, is only comfortable driving in the small towns of Cape Breton. Recently retired, she wants to start visiting her daughter, Janis, in Halifax. But merging, road signs and reversing are confusing and frightening to Shirley.
Engine revved and looking for more? Head to Worstdriver.ca for exclusive behind-the-scenes video, bonus content and an all-new Safe Driving Quiz. Got something to say? Chat live @DiscoveryCanada during the broadcasts (#CWD), and check out the perennially popular Exhaust Pipe forum. The website will also feature exclusive interviews with Younghusband, the participants and production team; plus bios, photo galleries, episode recaps and full episodes (available a week after broadcast).
