Canada's Worst Driver 7
Encyclopedia
Canada's Worst Driver 7 is the seventh season of the Canada's Worst Driver
series, which airs on Discovery Channel. As with previous years, eight nominees, as nominated by their nominators, enter the Driver Rehabilitation Centre to improve their driving skills. This season makes a particular emphasis on the uniquely Canadian nature of driving, rather than having any driving-related motifs as in past years. The initial drive started in St. Catharines, Ontario
, and the final road test is slated to be in Hamilton, Ontario
this year.
This season is the first to be broadcast in high definition, owing to the launch of the high-definition simulcast of Discovery Channel. As part of the promotion for this season, a special Monday edition of The Alan Nursall Experience, a segment on Daily Planet
(which normally airs on Tuesdays and Thursdays), takes a behind-the-scenes look at the Driver Rehabilitation Centre.
When the experts interview the contestants, the experts question Tab on her nerves, Ben on his relationship, Jon on humility, and Shirley on confidence. Lauri, who has seen past seasons on the show, is quietly confident, while Sly admits to confidence issues. Afiya is ignorant as to why she was nominated, while Aaron breaks down when talking to the experts. He admits that maybe if he can share his pain to the world, he will be able to recover. Since it's the end of the first episode, no one is leaving, and the lessons will begin in earnest.
In deliberation, Ben admits he will not be the first to graduate, while Shirley and Tab both admit to needing more improvement. Philippe believes that the root of Tab's problems is that she is looking not far enough ahead. Afiya admits to wanting to go home, with learning as an afterthought. Lauri believes that she should be first to graduate, but she also wants to stay longer to learn more. She breaks down when they discuss how in keeping her pets in the car may injure them without proper safety precautions, from which Cam suggests that she disable the passenger-side airbag and get specialized safety gear if she wants to continue riding with her pets. Jon wants to graduate, after a long talk with Aaron's life story earlier in the day in the confessional. Aaron, in return, is grateful for the news. The experts are divided on Jon and Lauri on being the first graduate; Cam and Philippe wants Jon to graduate based on his dealings with Aaron, while Andrew and Shyamala both want Lauri to go home because Lauri did better in all the challenges. In the end, the experts agree to honour Lauri's request to stick around, and Jon becomes the first graduate.
In deliberation, Aaron doesn't want to graduate, if only to further make an impact on the other contestants. Afiya in particular is moved by Aaron. Tab, Lauri, and Ben all feel like because of Aaron, they feel ready to graduate. Sly and Shirley are also moved by Aaron, but also vowed to stay. The experts make their deliberation short, by granting Lauri the unanimous decision for graduation.
In deliberation, Tab wants to stay to aid in her emotions, while Aaron does not feel that he warrants graduation. Neither Afiya, Sly, or Shirley also want to graduate. Ben, however, wants to graduate, having learned many things about his original licensing process, which included settling on the cheapest driving school available and being a class clown rather than focusing on fundamentals. Because only one contestant wanted to graduate, the experts decide on whether they should graduate Ben: Cam and Shyamala feel that he should stay, while Philippe and Peter feel that he should graduate. Ultimately, Ben's vow to replace his stick-shift car with an automatic is what turns the tides in his favour, and he leaves the Driver Rehabilitation Centre as the next graduate.
In deliberation, Afiya apologizes to Andrew after cursing at him after failing the Trough. Cam lashes out at Sly for "gunning it" during the trough, while Shirley is confident that she deserves to graduate. Tab also feels confident in graduating even though she went over-speed in the icy corner. Aaron, the consensus best performer in the episode, believes that he also deserves to graduate based on his performance, but he would rather stay put, as he believes his moment has not arrived. Shirley and Tab are shortlisted by the experts, but Andrew is not confident in graduating either of them. As a result, no one graduates this episode.
At the start of the show, Andrew recalls an incident in the past year where a contestant on the Dutch
equivalent of this series, De Allerslechtste Chauffeur van Nederland, injured host Ruben Nicolai and a cameraman during its shoulder check challenge, and how it has put him on edge (Canada's Worst Driver 7 was filmed as the Dutch series was airing in the Netherlands
). The episode also opens with Tab and Afiya seeking help from Shyamala between episodes to address Tab driving anxiety and Afiya's lack of taking on responsibility.
The experts commend Tab and Shirley on her improved behaviour, and both claim that they deserve to graduate. However, Afiya admits to being overconfident when she entered rehab, and the realization of the true nature of her driving skills means that she is not ready to graduate. As for Aaron, he feels that his moment has not arrived. Sly admits to not making any ground so far through rehabilitation. Cam believes that Tab should be the graduate – while Philippe still has an issue with Tab driving too fast, so he endorses Shirley. The experts, in a 3-2 split decision (Shyamala backing Shirley and Peter backing Tab) choose Tab over Shirley to graduate – as Shirley's driving was still too inconsistent for the experts' tastes.
Drifting Donuts is the main challenge in this episode. The Cross and the Reverse Slalom both return from previous years, and a cube truck challenge is also on the docket.
Canada's Worst Driver
Canada's Worst Driver , is a reality television series first aired on Discovery Channel Canada, based on the UK Channel 4 Television Corporation's Britain's Worst Driver...
series, which airs on Discovery Channel. As with previous years, eight nominees, as nominated by their nominators, enter the Driver Rehabilitation Centre to improve their driving skills. This season makes a particular emphasis on the uniquely Canadian nature of driving, rather than having any driving-related motifs as in past years. The initial drive started in St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, Canada, with 97.11 square kilometres of land...
, and the final road test is slated to be in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
this year.
This season is the first to be broadcast in high definition, owing to the launch of the high-definition simulcast of Discovery Channel. As part of the promotion for this season, a special Monday edition of The Alan Nursall Experience, a segment on Daily Planet
Daily Planet (TV series)
Daily Planet is a television program on Discovery Channel Canada which features daily news, discussion and commentary on the scientific aspects of current events and discoveries. The show first aired as @discovery.ca in 1995. It was renamed to Daily Planet in 2002. The show relaunched with in high...
(which normally airs on Tuesdays and Thursdays), takes a behind-the-scenes look at the Driver Rehabilitation Centre.
Contestants
- Lauri Bencharski, 37, from Prince Albert, SaskatchewanPrince Albert, SaskatchewanPrince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is situated in the centre of the province on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway to the North" because it is the last major centre along the route to the resources of northern Saskatchewan...
, is an animal lover – but for her fiancee Shaun, her love of animals goes a bit too far: she regularly drives with her two dogs, a cat, and a bird, all of which he believes is too much of a distraction. - Aaron Cheshire, 30, from Calgary, AlbertaCalgaryCalgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, was once a victim of an accident that had left him in a coma six years ago. Though he has recovered, he was never the same since in terms of his skills on the road. His father, Lee, hopes that the Driver Rehabilitation Centre will be the last step towards total recovery. - Sly Grosjean, 40, from Lethbridge, AlbertaLethbridgeLethbridge is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada, and the largest city in southern Alberta. It is Alberta's fourth-largest city by population after Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer, and the third-largest by area after Calgary and Edmonton. The nearby Canadian Rockies contribute to the city's...
, is a technophile who never goes anywhere without his cell phone GPS; it is a necessity for his job as a deliveryman. His brother-in-law Fred, however, believes that he is too reliant on new technologies – and can't otherwise drive without them. - Afiya Lassy, 25, from Montreal, QuebecMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, is out to prove her loved ones, including friend and nominator Cindy, wrong – those around her believe that she is a hazard on the road by running red lights and hogging the road; she begs to differ. - Tab Parks, 39, from Calgary, AlbertaCalgaryCalgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, is a nervous wreck when she is uncomfortable behind the wheel. Her boyfriend, Matt, hopes that the Driver Rehabilitation Centre can help her conquer her fears. - Jon Parsons, from Bowmanville, Ontario, has a cocky attitude – due to the adrenaline rush brought forth from driving. His girlfriend Elise believes that this can possibly come back to haunt him as they begin the next phase in their ongoing relationship.
- Ben Reiman, from Surrey, British ColumbiaSurrey, British ColumbiaSurrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
, and his wife, Jan, believes that driving is becoming a major point of contention to their relationship – so much so that they never drive together anymore. - Shirley Sampson, 60, from Port Caledonia, Nova ScotiaPort Caledonia, Nova ScotiaPort Caledonia is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality on Cape Breton Island.-References:*...
(on Cape Breton islandCape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova ScotiaCape Breton Regional Municipality often shortened to simply CBRM, is a regional municipality in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton County.According to the 2006 Census of Canada, the population within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is 102,250...
), is comfortable driving around the small towns of rural Nova Scotia; she just merely detests driving into Halifax – where her daughter and nominator Janis lives; she breaks down entirely on the highway, even going so far as to stop on the highway in place when she is confused.
Experts
The experts on this season are as follows:- Shyamala Kiru is an expert on interpersonal relationships, and how they can cause emotional breakdowns in drivers. Her experiences have brought her to every corner of the globe.
- Philippe LétourneauPhilippe LétourneauPhilippe Létourneau is a former race car driver, a driving instructor, and expert on the reality-television show, Canada's Worst Driver since season 3....
, returning for his fifth year on the show, is a professional race car coach who holds the philosophy that the car is ultimately nothing without the driver. - Peter Mellor, returning for his third year on the show, is the basic driving instructor, working with the Advanced Motoring Bureau.
- Cam WoolleyCam WoolleyCam Woolley is a traffic and safety reporter for CP24 and a former police officer with the Ontario Provincial Police in the Greater Toronto Area....
, returning for his sixth year, is the traffic expert on CP24 in Toronto. His 25 years as a traffic sergeant with the Ontario Provincial PoliceOntario Provincial PoliceThe Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
has made him the voice of authority in past years on the show.
Synopsis
| Contestant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | ||
| Sly | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | ||
| Afiya | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | ||
| Shirley | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | ||
| Tab | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | ||
| Ben | IN | IN | IN | OUT | ||||
| Lauri | IN | IN | OUT | |||||
| Jon | IN | OUT | ||||||
- The contestant became Canada's Worst Driver.
- The contestant was runner-up for Canada's Worst Driver.
- The contestant was on the panel's shortlist.
- The driver was expelled from the Driver Rehabilitation Centre, and is out of the running for Canada's Worst Driver.
- The contestant graduated.
- The contestant left the show.
Episode 1: Take Off, Eh!
- Original airdate: October 24, 2011
- The Drive to Rehab – The season begins with an hour-long drive from a parking garage in St. Catharines, OntarioSt. Catharines, OntarioSt. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, Canada, with 97.11 square kilometres of land...
to Dunnville AirportDunnville AirportDunnville Airport, , is a registered aerodrome located south of Dunnville, Ontario, Canada. It was first built as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and was home to No.6 Service Flying Training School. There is a museum at the airport commemorating the training school.-External...
, site of the Driver Rehabilitation Centre for the second year in a row. Shirley is first to leave due to her unfamiliarity with city driving. Shirley is followed by Ben, Afiya (who departs so fast she hits an object even before leaving the parking garage), Sly (who would rather use his cell phone GPS than the written directions given to him), Tab, Aaron, Lauri, and Jon (whose car does not have a backseat, and thus cannot fit both his nominator Elise and a camera crew member). Afiya is the first to be pulled over by the camera crew for going 50 km/h over the speed limit. At the Driver Rehabilitation Centre, Ben is the first to arrive, followed by Shirley, Sly, Tab, Aaron, Afiya (given a ride the rest of the way to rehab), Jon (who would have been pulled over had there been a camera crew member), and Lauri. - Basic Assessment – This year's featured car is a used 2009 Dodge Challenger RTDodge ChallengerThe Dodge Challenger is the name of three different generations of automobiles marketed by the Dodge division of Chrysler.The first generation Dodge Challenger was a pony car built from 1970 to 1974, using the Chrysler E platform and sharing major components with the Plymouth Barracuda. The second...
, to be used in one challenge per episode. This car will first turn the car around in a cross, before going down a short maneuvering course in reverse, turning the car around, and performing a slalom at 50 km/h. Afiya, who prefers to drive barefoot for this challenge, is the first to scratch the car, and quickly loses control in the slalom. Sly gets the left side of his car pinned, so the cross must be widened for his benefit; nevertheless, he still hits many things and goes through the slalom far too quickly. Lauri goes through the cross with minimal incident without her pets, but when Andrew introduces four stuffed animals to her car, representing her pets, it causes her performance to degrade considerably; she also goes through the slalom too fast. Ben nearly knocks down the entire course, including the obstacles in the slalom. Tab initially refuses to do the slalom at 50 km/h, but she is persuaded to do the challenge. However, after 45 minutes, she has still not cleared the cross. She gives up on the reverse, and hits three of the obstacles doing the slalom. Jon goes too fast throughout the course, which all result in hits. Shirley forgets to turn around in the cross, but she still hits things going forward through the reverse sections. At the slalom, she hits all of the obstacles. Aaron is the last to take the challenge, and he nearly gives up on the cross. Extensive coaching by his father, Lee, is needed to get through the reverse. He ends the challenge by hitting the second obstacle in the slalom.
When the experts interview the contestants, the experts question Tab on her nerves, Ben on his relationship, Jon on humility, and Shirley on confidence. Lauri, who has seen past seasons on the show, is quietly confident, while Sly admits to confidence issues. Afiya is ignorant as to why she was nominated, while Aaron breaks down when talking to the experts. He admits that maybe if he can share his pain to the world, he will be able to recover. Since it's the end of the first episode, no one is leaving, and the lessons will begin in earnest.
- The Alan Nursall Experience: Daily Planet correspondent Alan NursallAlan NursallAlan Nursall is a Canadian scientist and television personality, who reports on science news for the Canadian television series Daily Planet and the Alan Nursall Experience on the Discovery Channel.- Biography :...
takes on the Trough, a challenge that has been featured in past years, which will also be used later on this season.
Episode 2: Use Your Mirrors, Eh?
- Original airdate: October 31, 2011
- The Rail Bridge – The annual "know where your wheels are" challenge has contestants cross a rail bridge in a Toyota RAV4Toyota RAV4The Toyota RAV4 is a compact crossover SUV from Toyota. It was the first compact crossover SUV, introduced in Japan and Europe in 1994 and beginning sales in North America in 1996...
. To incentivize crossing in reverse, the course is initially set up with the rear wheels on the rails; Andrew demonstrates the challenge in reverse. Drivers only fail if they get the car stuck and unable to move. Sly falls off going in reverse, and making another attempt forwards causes him to get stuck. Jon goes across driving forwards, distrusting his reversing skills. Ben does not look behind him as he reverses, though he manages to reverse across the bridge and into the finish sign. Lauri and Shirley both choose to drive forward and pass. Tab is too nervous to try, though with Andrew's help she manages to drive her way across forwards. Aaron tries his luck in reverse, but in trying to adjust his wheels to stay on the rails, he gets stuck and fails. Afiya, who has complained that Driver Rehab is pointless since arriving, gets out of her seat in trying to reverse, and though she manages to cross without falling in or getting stuck, it's questionable whether she passed or not. - Challenger Challenge: The Eye of the Needle – The first lesson from Philippe this year is on target fixation, which is tested in the annual challenge in the featured car. The five archways, which are not arranged in a line unlike previous years, must be traversed at 60 km/h. Shirley gears up to 80 km/h, and hits the drivers side in the second arch and the passenger side in the third and fifth arch. Ben crashes into the first arch before accelerating to 90 km/h and colliding with the other arches, and fails. Aaron slowly accelerates to 100 km/h after clearing the first arch, but he crashes into three of the next four arches. Jon clears the arches easily. Tab accelerates to 110 km/h, so fast that she collides into four of the arches, having missed the third arch due to her speed making her unable to turn in time. Lauri, with her stuffed animals, clips only the fourth arch in her run, but her run is considered a pass. Sly hits all of the arches on the passenger side, in part due to a possible tunnel vision issue. Afiya speeds to 110 km/h, and was unaware that she clipped her mirrors in her run.
- The Group Reverse Figure Eight – The contestants must reverse a Ford F-Series short busMinibusA minibus or minicoach is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, the word "minibus" is used to describe any full-sized passenger carrying van. Minibuses have a...
(which can be driven by ordinary drivers as long as it has fewer than 8 seats) around a figure-eight course. For this challenge, all of the contestants will be in the same car together as each contestants make their run. Jon volunteers to go first, but around the ends of the course he goes too fast and hits 7 things. Ben, licensed to drive full-sized buses in his job transporting autistic adults, is still on the first turn after eight minutes, and hits 29 things overall. Tab is also licensed to drive full-sized buses (having quit driving school buses due to stress), but hits 20 things in her run. Afiya, ignoring her mirrors, also ignores the collective opinions of the other contestants, hits 59 obstacles in her run. Shirley, after an early mishap, proceeds to do most of the rest of the course flawlessly, with only 13 hits in her run. Aaron goes through the course very slowly, even stopping when he is flustered by the crosstalk, but he finishes with a standing ovation from contestants and nominators alike, with only two hits in his run. Sly spends 4 minutes adjusting his mirrors, due to not knowing where to aim his mirrors, and even after that Sly relies on Jon to do the looking for him. Lauri normally cannot see out of her passenger-side mirror due to her larger dog, but with only her driver-side mirror (her passenger-side mirror being similarly encumbered by the large stuffed animal) she manages to go through the entire course without hitting anything... until she opens the bus door.
In deliberation, Ben admits he will not be the first to graduate, while Shirley and Tab both admit to needing more improvement. Philippe believes that the root of Tab's problems is that she is looking not far enough ahead. Afiya admits to wanting to go home, with learning as an afterthought. Lauri believes that she should be first to graduate, but she also wants to stay longer to learn more. She breaks down when they discuss how in keeping her pets in the car may injure them without proper safety precautions, from which Cam suggests that she disable the passenger-side airbag and get specialized safety gear if she wants to continue riding with her pets. Jon wants to graduate, after a long talk with Aaron's life story earlier in the day in the confessional. Aaron, in return, is grateful for the news. The experts are divided on Jon and Lauri on being the first graduate; Cam and Philippe wants Jon to graduate based on his dealings with Aaron, while Andrew and Shyamala both want Lauri to go home because Lauri did better in all the challenges. In the end, the experts agree to honour Lauri's request to stick around, and Jon becomes the first graduate.
- The Alan Nursall Experience: Alan Nursall goes into the car maintenanceCar maintenanceAuto maintenance describes the act of inspecting or testing the condition of car subsystems and servicing or replacing parts and fluids....
garage at the Driver Rehabilitation Centre to assist mechanic Bill Hoffie in making quick fixes to the cars so that they will be ready for the next challenge. Among the repairs he assists is the replacement of side mirrors and the RAV4's shocks that were damaged from the Trough.
Episode 3: Dangerous Driving
- Original airdate: November 7, 2011
- Distracted Driving – The distracted driving lesson has been described in years past as "the easiest course of the year". This year, the contestants must drive in a Nash Canadian StatesmanNash StatesmanThe Nash Statesman was the lower-priced version of the two main Nash Motors' automobile series, and was priced below the top-line Nash Ambassador....
built in Toronto in the 1950s on a racetrack course in order to demonstrate the dangers of distracted driving. Aaron, a victim of distracted driving (smoking while driving, to be specific), is exempt from this challenge; instead, after everyone else goes through their run, they must tell Aaron all about what they have learned from the challenge, and how they will pledge to avoid creating more people like Aaron in the future. Shirley's run is focused on her eating and driving, while Afiya's run is focused on texting while driving. While on her run, she slows down to walking speed but still hits the obstacles. Sly's run is also focused on both of the above, but he goes so far off course on his first lap that he destroys the engine. Lauri, already well aware of her issues with being distracted by her pets from the last episode, has makeup as the focus of her run. Ben's texting while driving is the focus of his run. The final run belongs to fellow Calgarian Tab, who believed that smoking, texting, and eating while driving stick-shift can be done with enough training. She aborts the lesson early once she cannot handle the course, and breaks down while talking to Aaron. - Reaction Time Exams – A series of exams are administer the reaction speeds of the contestants. The battery of tests consists of catching a falling stick, catching a dropped tennis ball from shoulder-height, as well as catching balls thrown from a tennis ball machine. Sly has the worst reaction time of the contestants.
- The Head-to-Head S-Turn Challenge – In this challenge, using two Plymouth HorizonsDodge OmniThe Dodge Omni and the similar Plymouth Horizon were front wheel drive cars introduced by the Dodge and Plymouth divisions of the Chrysler Corporation in North America in 1978, and were based on a European Simca-based design of the same name...
, contestants must use the S-turn to navigate in reverse into the centre of a spiral course – before switching positions with the other car and going back out in reverse towards the other car's starting spot. Ben and Tab make up the first heat. Tab picks up the S-turn right away, and reaches the centre without hitting anything, but for Ben, it takes longer for the lesson to take hold. Once the two pass each other, though, Ben pulls ahead and finishes ahead of Tab, who establishes some mild road rage in frustration in the second half. Afiya takes on Lauri in the second car. Lauri had never understood this before this lesson, but she finishes the course without hitting anything ahead of Afiya. Afiya is unusually focused in her run, but her performance quickly degrades on the way out. The third match-up involves Aaron facing off against head driving instructor Peter. By the time Peter reaches the centre, Aaron must be slowly guided by Lee to the centre, having forgotten the lesson almost immediately. Andrew gets into the car to remind Aaron of how to do the S-Turn, and he goes through the second half unassisted without hitting anything. Shirley and Sly make up the final heat. Sly picks up the lesson quickly, but he barely gets moving. Both proceed to exceed the hit count of the other contestants combined before reaching the centre. Shirley gives up before reaching the centre, and it takes Sly 90 minutes to reach the centre. - Challenger Challenge: The Shoulder-Check Challenge – After a posture lesson from Philippe, the annual challenge must be taken at 60 km/h. Contestants have up to two attempts to try and clear the course this year. Shirley passes her run easily on her first run. Aaron accelerates to 80 km/h in his first run, and when he does his shoulder check, he takes one hand of the wheel when checking to the right (as if he's preparing to drive in reverse), takes an exit (which turned out to be the right one), and careens out of control for a long period after the exit is taken. After a bit more practice, he narrowly passes his second run. In both of Sly's runs, he hits the lane obstacles as he prepares to take the correct exit. Lauri passes on her first try, despite temporarily going under speed. Afiya also passes on her first try. Tab also speeds to 80 km/h before taking the wrong exit (but clearing it) in her first run. She attributes the failure to panicking, and she similarly panics in her second run, randomly guessing (correctly) an exit. Because she guessed, she fails. Ben accelerates to 90 km/h in his first run and hits the center marker. He also goes overspeed in his second run, but he does clear the course.
In deliberation, Aaron doesn't want to graduate, if only to further make an impact on the other contestants. Afiya in particular is moved by Aaron. Tab, Lauri, and Ben all feel like because of Aaron, they feel ready to graduate. Sly and Shirley are also moved by Aaron, but also vowed to stay. The experts make their deliberation short, by granting Lauri the unanimous decision for graduation.
- The Alan Nursall Experience: Alan Nursall assist in setting up a parallel parking challenge as well as a parking lot challenge, both being parts of later episodes.
Episode 4: Buckle Up
- Original airdate: November 14, 2011
- The Trailer Challenge – With a normal driving license, a driver can tow a trailer ten metres long. In this challenge, contestants must tow such a trailer loaded with hay through an obstacle course with both a short forward and reverse portion. Even with her nominator, Matt, helping her from outside the Dodge Ram 2500, Tab hits obstacles 26 times in her run. Aaron, battling the rain in his run, does not have an issue moving forwards, but he also needs his nominator, Lee, to help in reversing the trailer from the outside. When he fails to also get Andrew's help in reversing from the outside, he quits in frustration. Sly has trouble taking the forward turns wide enough in his run, and he repeatedly turns in the wrong direction in reverse, for 29 hits total. Shirley also has trouble taking wide turns, and quits even before finishing the forward portion. Afiya persists through 47 hits in her run, largely due to confusion over which direction to turn the wheel in reverse. Ben is unusually focused through the forward part of the run, and, after reversing with speed, manages to finish his run without hitting anything. He credits his run with not having to perform the same action repeatedly.
- The Three-Point Turn – In this challenge, contestants must perform a three-point turn while on top of a raised platform. Tab only manages to do a nine-point turn. Aaron nearly falls off, and does an 11-point turn while constantly getting input from Lee. Sly and Afiya also fall off the course. Shirley gets stuck after turning 21 points, but does manages to get out after a 31-point turn. Ben does a seven-point turn, after realizing that his initial entry (proceeding straight rather than turning) was erroneous.
- The Water Tank Challenge – A Jeep Grand Wagoneer with 200 litres of water will be used for this annual challenge. The obstacle course this year consists of a slow portion, which includes a sudden stop to accommodate a reversing parked car, an acceleration to 30 km/h, a gradual deceleration and turn, and then a slow bump that concludes the challenge. In Andrew's demonstration run, he loses 20 litres of 200, mostly from the bump that has also soaked him in previous years. Sly doesn't brake at all in his run, and collides into the reversing car. He proceeds to power his way forwards, not realizing that the hitting of obstacles has resulted in a flat tire in the front right tire heading into the acceleration portion. He loses 100 litres in his run. Aaron also nearly collides into the car, losing control of the car as he powers forward. He also loses 100 litres. Afiya loses 120 litres in her run. Shirley only loses 35 litres and does not hit anything, only losing water at the bump. Tab goes through the course too fast, losing 90 litres in her run. Ben loses 50 litres in his run, all from intentionally soaking Jan in the beginning of the run; when he drives seriously through the acceleration portion and thereafter, he does not lose a single drop, even on the hump, and even as he goes over speed (35 km/h) on the acceleration portion.
- Challenger Challenge: The Reverse Flick – In this challenge, contestants must perform the reverse flick inside a confined space. Tab, originally so nervous she freaked out as the technique was being demonstrated, has a slight turn when reversing the car, hitting the entrance obstacles in most of her five attempts. Aaron turns the wheel too many times through his first four runs, and needed Andrew's help in his fifth run; even then, he steers too far. Afiya brakes through her first three runs, and plows into the foam barriers. She passes on her fifth run. Shirley's first run isn't until she is at the exit. Frustrated, Janis leaves the car in frustration. She passes on her third attempt after a near miss in her second run with Andrew. Sly, who has a nonverbal learning disorderNonverbal learning disorderA nonverbal learning disorder or nonverbal learning disability is a condition characterized by a significant discrepancy between higher verbal and lower motor, visuo-spatial, and social skills on an IQ test...
, is given written instructions for his run. He hits the brake in his first three runs. He is too frustrated and barely turns at all in his fourth attempt, but before his final attempt, the rain sets in. Forced to do a slower 30 km/h reverse instead of a 40 km/h reverse, he passes on his last attempt. Ben over-steers in his first three runs and tries to brake to compensate. He flicks too early in his fourth run, and he flicks slightly too far in the opposite direction in his last attempt, failing the challenge.
In deliberation, Tab wants to stay to aid in her emotions, while Aaron does not feel that he warrants graduation. Neither Afiya, Sly, or Shirley also want to graduate. Ben, however, wants to graduate, having learned many things about his original licensing process, which included settling on the cheapest driving school available and being a class clown rather than focusing on fundamentals. Because only one contestant wanted to graduate, the experts decide on whether they should graduate Ben: Cam and Shyamala feel that he should stay, while Philippe and Peter feel that he should graduate. Ultimately, Ben's vow to replace his stick-shift car with an automatic is what turns the tides in his favour, and he leaves the Driver Rehabilitation Centre as the next graduate.
Episode 5: Park and Slide
- Original airdate: November 21, 2011
- Canada's Worst Parking Lot – This challenge is only done once every two years. This year, contestants must park into the spaces by reversing. Initially, no spaces are available, and spaces will only open up as blocker cars move out. Aaron is the first to be penalized with a lap when he suddenly stops in the parking lot, and Shirley is penalized when Janis takes her steering wheel; no other penalties were assessed for the rest of the challenge. Aaron is the first to park after a brief encounter with a blocking cube truck and initially trying to give up the space; the cube truck is unable to park in the space and promptly moves out, prompting Aaron to try again. Sly is the second to park, though he is initially unsure as to whether he is between the lines until he stops. Tab is third to park, though she was "shaking somewhat" through her run. The last space is claimed by Afiya when she beats Shirley to the vacated space.
- Parallel Parking – After a lesson on parallel parking (Sly getting written instructions as requested), the contestants must park a 1967 Chrysler NewportChrysler NewportThe Newport was a name used by the Chrysler division of the Chrysler Corporation used as both a hardtop body designation and also for its lowest priced model between 1961 and 1981...
into a space. Contestants have 30 minutes to park, and must make only one parking attempt per trip through the course. Tab eventually passes in five attempts. Afiya demands silence, and – despite getting out of her seat to check the passenger side as she is reversing – passes on her first try. Andrew observes Sly from the backseat throughout his run; Sly spends two minutes to recognize where the wheels are, and another eight minutes to reverse – only to end up too far from the curb. He runs out of time, and fails. Aaron repeatedly solicits his father's advice, but though the advice is well-meaning, Aaron fails each attempt. When he demands silence, Aaron succeeds after two additional attempts. Similarly, Shirley solicits her daughter's advice. On Shirley's final attempt before running out of time, Janis adamantly refuses to assist her mother despite repeated solicitations – and Shirley passes as a result. - The Trough – The annual challenge consists of a simple course with two turns. Contestants will have 30 minutes to go through the course. Janis is repeatedly fed up with her mother's solicitation, and Shirley fails. Aaron passes on his last attempt before running out of time, again demanding silence from his father after being given bad advice in every previous run. Tab inches along in each run, but due to Matt's bad advice, Tab banishes him from the car. She makes the first turn but fails the second turn as a result. She runs out of time. Afiya repeatedly falls off the course, and though she wants to quit after 20 minutes, she is convinced to go the entire 30 minutes. She fails on the last turn in her last attempt. Sly – in an ill-fated attempt to "gun it" through the second turn – punctures the gas line in the car when the rear wheel hops the rails. This was something considered to have been impossible by the show's vehicle maintenance crew, and the challenge is thus aborted.
- Challenger Challenge: The Cornering Challenge – After a lesson on collision avoidance, the icy corner must be tackled at 50 km/h. Contestants have three attempts at the corner before failing. Sly releases the brake too late, and hits the wall in all three attempts. Tab goes over-speed (at 60 km/h) during all three of her runs, and hits the wall each time. Afiya brakes too soon and takes up the tarp in her first attempt, and hits the wall in her other two attempts. Shirley also pulls up the tarp too soon in her second attempt, and in all three attempts she does not release the brake and hit the wall. As for Aaron, he passes on his first try.
In deliberation, Afiya apologizes to Andrew after cursing at him after failing the Trough. Cam lashes out at Sly for "gunning it" during the trough, while Shirley is confident that she deserves to graduate. Tab also feels confident in graduating even though she went over-speed in the icy corner. Aaron, the consensus best performer in the episode, believes that he also deserves to graduate based on his performance, but he would rather stay put, as he believes his moment has not arrived. Shirley and Tab are shortlisted by the experts, but Andrew is not confident in graduating either of them. As a result, no one graduates this episode.
Episode 6: Hard!
- Original airdate: November 28, 2011
At the start of the show, Andrew recalls an incident in the past year where a contestant on the Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
equivalent of this series, De Allerslechtste Chauffeur van Nederland, injured host Ruben Nicolai and a cameraman during its shoulder check challenge, and how it has put him on edge (Canada's Worst Driver 7 was filmed as the Dutch series was airing in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
). The episode also opens with Tab and Afiya seeking help from Shyamala between episodes to address Tab driving anxiety and Afiya's lack of taking on responsibility.
- The Snowplow Challenge – A Dodge RamDodge RamThe Dodge Ram is a full-size pickup truck manufactured by the Chrysler Group LLC. As of late 2010, it has been sold under the Ram Trucks brand. Previously, Ram was part of the Dodge lineup of light trucks...
outfitted with a snowplow is used for this challenge. Contestants must proceed forward through a short course at 20 km/h (with wood chips being used in place of snow) without hitting any of the parked cars at the side of the course. Contestants have 30 minutes to attempt the course. Shyamala's counselling has paid off, with Tab passing the challenge after 7 minutes and Afiya after 17 attempts. Sly continues to be unaware that he hits things in his attempts; it is only when he looks far ahead that he passes (he had also sped up to 25 km/h in his successful run). Aaron is not confident going up to speed, and even under speed he hits things – due to the lack of looking far ahead. However, he slowly begins to speed up, but time runs out before he can get off a successful run. As with previous challenges, Janis refuses to assist her mother through her run despite her soliciting advice; and because of being forced to make her own decisions, Shirley passes. - Rules of the Road Test – The contestants are quizzed on rules of the road, with a special emphasis on road rules specific to various parts of Canada; such as regulations around right turn on redRight turn on redRight turn on red, or simply right on red, is a principle of law permitting vehicles at a traffic light showing a red signal to turn right when the way is clear, in a country with right-hand traffic...
in Montreal (the only part of Canada where it is illegal, owing to unique safety issues) and stopping behind Toronto's streetcarsToronto streetcar systemThe Toronto streetcar system comprises eleven streetcar routes in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission , and is the largest such system in the Americas in terms of ridership, number of cars, and track length. The network is concentrated primarily in downtown and in...
(as Toronto's streetcars do not stop curbside, cars must stop behind a streetcar when its doors are open to allow passengers a safe place to embark and disembark from the sidewalk). Shirley is worst at 1/10, largely on the back of outdated knowledge. - Car Curling – As curlingCurlingCurling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
is a popular sport in Canada, this challenge is inspired by the amateur pastime. A Buick SkylarkBuick SkylarkThe Buick Skylark was a passenger car produced by the Buick division of General Motors. The model was made in six production runs. In each run, the car design varied dramatically due to changing technology and tastes, as well as new standards implemented over the years.-1953–1954:Introduced to mark...
is used for this challenge. Contestants must push a large "rock" with the car before braking before reaching a "hog line", while the momentum of the rock carries it into a "house". The contestant closest to "the button" wins. Contestants have eight rocks to try to push into the house. In Shirley's attempts, she never gets comfortable getting up to speed without losing control of the rock, and she only gets two rocks to the hog line – both of which promptly stop a few feet past the line. Sly loses control in six of his eight rocks before reaching the hog line, and doesn't place any of the rocks in the house. In contrast, Afiya starts quickly and accelerates so fast, all of her rocks sail through the house; none of her eight rocks actually land within the house. Aaron also loses control of his rocks early on, and his timid driving and over-correcting for his errors does not get him any of his eight rocks in the house. Tab wins the competition when her first rock sails into the "four-foot" in the house. - Challenger Challenge: Swerve and Avoid – The challenge is themed around avoid avoiding mooseMooseThe moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
on the road. This is a particular issue for Shirley, who has killed family pets due to not swerving to avoid them. In this year's version, contestants must clear the course at 70 km/h in the Challenger. Tab accelerates to 80 km/h, and in trying to slow down she does not have enough time to get back down – and hits the barriers, destroying the front bumper. In her second attempt, she swerves too wide... and destroys the back bumper. Tab does, however, clear the course in her third attempt. Aaron passes the challenge on his first try. Shirley swerves too early in her first two runs, and hits the last lane marker. She clears the course in the third attempt. Afiya fails the course, as she goes over-speed and hits the moose in her first run. She swerves too early in the second attempt, and too late in the third. Sly accelerates to 100 km/h, and goes straight ahead and brakes, destroying the centre of the course. The challenge is aborted then – as Andrew remarks that he could not have done the challenge any worse.
The experts commend Tab and Shirley on her improved behaviour, and both claim that they deserve to graduate. However, Afiya admits to being overconfident when she entered rehab, and the realization of the true nature of her driving skills means that she is not ready to graduate. As for Aaron, he feels that his moment has not arrived. Sly admits to not making any ground so far through rehabilitation. Cam believes that Tab should be the graduate – while Philippe still has an issue with Tab driving too fast, so he endorses Shirley. The experts, in a 3-2 split decision (Shyamala backing Shirley and Peter backing Tab) choose Tab over Shirley to graduate – as Shirley's driving was still too inconsistent for the experts' tastes.
Episode 7: Glazed Over
- Original airdate: December 5, 2011
Drifting Donuts is the main challenge in this episode. The Cross and the Reverse Slalom both return from previous years, and a cube truck challenge is also on the docket.