Canada's Worst Driver 12 Explained
Canada's Worst Driver 12 is the twelfth season of the Canadian reality TV show Canada's Worst Driver, which aired on the Discovery Channel. As with previous years, eight people, nominated by their family or friends, enter the Driver Rehabilitation Centre to improve their driving skills. The focus of this season was on the dangers of speeding.
This year, the Driver Rehabilitation Centre is located at the Dunnville Airport in Dunnville, Ontario for the seventh straight season. The initial drive started in Niagara Falls, Ontario and the final road test occurred in Hamilton, Ontario. This season notably featured reckless and texting while driving contestant Krystal McCann, who not only drove in a way that was rude, inconsiderate, selfish and unacceptable,[1] but also became the first-ever Canada's Worst Driver "winner" to not receive the trophy due to her refusal to learn.[2] Reactions towards Krystal's behaviour on the show was overwhelmingly negative, due to her overall equally negative appearance, especially her rudeness noted towards host Andrew Younghusband.[3] In an interview, Krystal revealed that she had been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder after the show, in an attempt to explain her volatile attitude.[4]
Experts
- Cam Woolley is the show's longest-serving expert, having been present in every season except the first and has seen the habits of Canadian drivers change drastically since 2000, with the most common offense having changed from DUI to distracted driving. He is the traffic expert on CP24 in Toronto and had a 25-year career as a traffic sergeant with the Ontario Provincial Police.
- Philippe Létourneau is a veteran high-speed driving instructor who counts BMW and Ferrari among his clients. Since joining the show in the third season, the average car has gained considerably in speed and acceleration, with the high-speed emphasis of this season making his job a particularly important one.
- Shyamala Kiru is the show's resident psychotherapist and relationship expert, a position which has become more demanding each year since joining the show in the seventh season, as the stresses in driving and everyday life seem to always be on the increase.
- Tim Danter is the show's head driving instructor, a position he has held since joining the show in the eighth season. In this position, he not only gives the drivers help and instructions for challenges, but gives them further lessons off-screen.
Contestants
This season features eight contestants, down from the nine featured in the eleventh season:[5]
- Mike Adrain, 44, from Renfrew, Ontario (near Ottawa), suffered a serious brain injury in a traffic accident in September 2003, when he was hit head-on by a driver who fell asleep at the wheel. While Mike's driving license was subsequently revoked in medical grounds, he was able to earn it back in recent years. However, his wife and nominator, Christian Adrain, is increasingly questioning whether Mike would have been better staying off the roads, as he has experienced many accidents in the time since he regained his license. He drives a red Dodge Ram 1500 and drove a brown Chevrolet Malibu to the rehab centre.
- Amrinder Dua, 25, from Hamilton, Ontario, originally learned to drive in his native India and managed to earn a Canadian driving license with little effort. However, his lack of familiarity with Canadian road laws has resulted in him earning several suspensions and crashing a new car that his best friend, Akash, had only bought two days prior was the final straw, leading to Akash's nominating him. He drives a silver Dodge Grand Caravan.
- Tyler Dupont, 44, from Innisfail, Alberta (near Red Deer), is by his own admission an accomplished welder but a poor driver. The stress that driving causes him, likely originating from his being badly hurt in a crash a decade prior, has resulted in him increasingly resorting to driving while under the influence of alcohol, which in turn has resulted in him committing at least 20 hit-and-run offenses over the previous year. This has caused his wife, Jana Dupont, to nominate him for the show as a last-ditch effort to get him to reform. It was revealed by Jana that Tyler also received a brain injury from a past traffic collision and that it ultimately affects his driving ability. He drives a grey Dodge Grand Caravan and a red Chevrolet Silverado and drove a purple Pontiac Montana SV6 to the rehab centre.
- Daniella Florica, 30, from Kitchener, Ontario, lacks confidence when it comes to driving. She purposefully sought out a job that allowed her to work from home; this allows her to drive as little as possible. After relying on friends and family to drive her everywhere, Daniella now feels she is a liability on the road; which is her excuse for her disinterest and limited knowledge of driving. She has been known to suffer panic attacks when attempting to merge onto the highway. Her sister, Chantal Scapinello, has brought Daniella to rehab to help her gain the confidence she needs to start driving assertively. She drives a silver Ford Escape.
- Diana Hutchings, 33, from Edmonton, Alberta, is a substitute teacher who relies more on spiritual energies than the rules of the road, sometimes even burning incense and reciting mantras while at the wheel. Her brother-in-law, Joedy, is less than convinced by her approach, however, especially since she has twice had her driving license suspended for dangerous driving, leading to him nominating her in an effort to give her a wake-up call. She drives a black Honda Insight and drove a blue Toyota Yaris to the rehab centre.
- Cody Jensen, 28, from East St. Paul, Manitoba (near Winnipeg), has already had his driving license suspended five times and is just one ticket away from a sixth suspension. He attributes his reckless driving habits to the adrenaline rush that he gets from driving at extreme speeds, and is able to get away with repeatedly wrecking his vehicles thanks to his mechanical expertise, which allows him to repair even severe damage. His girlfriend, Sarah, has had enough of his reckless habits and has nominated him with the ultimatum of either making an effort to improve or ending their relationship. He drives a blue Dodge Ram 3500 and a silver Cadillac STS and drove a black Dodge Magnum to the rehab centre.
- Krystal McCann, 28, from Edmonton, Alberta, never had any formal driving education, and was able to get her driving license with her prior experience mostly consisting of joyriding with cars stolen from her neighbours, something she was doing as early as the age of 13. Despite her past, Krystal has too much over confidence in her abilities behind the wheel and her brother, Steven McCann, has nominated her in an effort to finally give her a proper education in driving. She drives a blue Jeep Renegade and drove a blue Saturn Vue to the rehab centre.
- Lou Valcourt, 41, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, only got her driving license a year ago after having a learner's permit for 15 years. She lost any desire to drive at an early age, when her best friend was killed by a speeding driver and has driven four times in her entire life. Her common-law husband, Derek Trevor Lambert, has nominated her in an effort to give her the confidence boost she needs to be an independent driver. She drives a red Ford Expedition and drove a white Toyota RAV4 to the rehab centre.
Synopsis
| Contestant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|
| Krystal McCann | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | CWD |
| Daniella Florica | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | RUNNER-UP |
| Tyler Dupont | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT |
| Lou Valcourt | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | |
| Mike Adrain | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | |
| Diana Hutchings | IN | IN | IN | OUT | |
| Amrinder Dua | IN | IN | OUT | |
| Cody Jensen | IN | OUT | | |
The contestant became Canada's Worst Driver.
The contestant was the runner-up for Canada's Worst Driver.
The contestant was on the panel's shortlist.
The contestant graduated.
Notes and References
- Web site: WE'RE HITTING THE ROAD TO FIND CANADA'S WORST DRIVER . Proper Television . 24 June 2018 . 25 January 2017.
- Web site: From one of the worst to most improved . Innisfail Province . 24 June 2018. 20 December 2016.
- Web site: Krystal Mccann hasn't got a Clue! . Shoutout Edmonton . 2 December 2018.
- News: Snowdon . Wallis . After mental health journey, 'Canada's worst driver' back on the road in Edmonton . . December 14, 2016 . December 16, 2016.
- http://www.bellmedia.ca/pr/press/andrew-younghusband-returns-with-discoverys-top-show-canadas-worst-driver-and-debuts-networks-new-original-canadian-series-tougher-than-it-looks-mondays-beginning-october/ Bell Media
