Canada’s Worst Driver, which is returning for Season 11 on Monday, October 26th at 10pm on Discovery, features an exciting group of nine participants for this upcoming season, including two brothers who have nominated each other as Canada’s Worst Driver. The drivers are from Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, and Newfoundland, and this season, the onus is on speed.
Host Andrew Younghusband shared with Crave readers the ins and outs of Season 11 and a few of the more shocking things he’s seen while working on the show.
Tell us about Season 11. Why the focus on excessive speed?
Season 11 is ultimately all about speed. It’s all about our normal safe driving tips and techniques that we cover every year but cars and horsepower are getting faster and stronger as time goes on, and some provinces have increased speed limits. Speed, though, kills. And some of the stats on increased speed are quite staggering and people don’t know that. For example, if you drive 120kph you’re four times more likely to die in an accident than someone who is driving at 100kph. The change is so dramatic in the outcome with just a 20-kilometre difference of speed, and people don’t tend to think 20 kilometres of speed makes a big difference.
What’s the most shocking thing you’ve seen on the show?
I’ve seen things I wish I could unsee. One thing I’ve seen over the course of 11 seasons is an evolution of bad driving. When I started doing the show, drinking and driving was the #1 cause of death on the road and now it’s distracted driving. I didn’t think I’d see people watching full episodes of a documentary while driving or older women using their iPads to update their status on Facebook.
We have a woman this year who drives on the highway and she goes 50-60 with her four-way flashers thinking that keeps her safe. It’s terrifying. We have a prima-donna guy this year who’s way more interested in grooming than driving and he plucks his eyebrows and brushes his teeth while driving on the highway. These drivers have this belief that it’s safe and it’s staggering!
Last season Canada’s Worst Driver was the most-watched program on the network – why do you think it has resonated so much with viewers?
I think it’s the fact that driving relates to everyone’s life. Every day we see bad drivers and we’re reminded of the risk that the bad drivers cause. Even good drivers can screw up. And unfortunately, we all know someone who has tragically passed away in a car crash. It remains to be one of the biggest causes of death and injury in the country and something we deal with everyday, whether you’re a pedestrian, a bike-rider, or a driver. It hits home to viewers because every single person of all ages can relate – it’s become a real family show. Parents have even sent me clips with their 5-year-olds pushing hand-push car or battery-operated cars through their Canada’s Worst Driver courses!
