Canada's worst driver 4
Like previous series, each contestant is nominated by a loved one, and are taken to the Driver Rehabilitation Centre, located this year at an abandoned correctional facility in Guelph, Ontario. At the rehabilitation centre, each contestant is taught key driving skills, and are tested in various challenges, with three challenges to an episode. Before each challenge, host Andrew Younghusband performs each challenge to demonstrate that they are doable without error by an average driver. The first episode, where the contestants must drive to the Driver Rehabilitation Centre from a location an hour's drive away in the traditional first challenge, serves as a skills evaluation. Starting with the second episode, and at the end of every episode thereafter, the experts and Andrew decide on which of the remaining contestants have been sufficiently rehabilitated to be let go onto public roads. This continues until three contestants remain, where two traditional final challenges (a "mega-challenge" with elements of previous challenges, as well as a road test through public streets) determine who is named Canada's Worst Driver. Though normally one contestant leaves in every episode, the experts may, at their discretion, refuse to allow anyone to graduate, or conversely graduate more than one contestant in an episode. In extreme circumstances, the experts may also choose to expel a contestant with no intention of improving their driving skills.
This year, like the previous season, roughly half of the challenges are new to the series (though some are inspired by challenges seen in previous years), while the other half, such as the initial drive to the Driver Rehabilitation Centre, the Eye of the Needle, the Water-Tank Challenge, the Mega-Challenge, and the series-ending road test, are returning from previous seasons. However, the challenges this season are more specifically tuned for the individual contestants than in previous years, to better address driving issues specific to each contestant. For this year, a fleet of brand-new luxury cars have been commissioned for some of the challenges.
Teagan Cramer
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Teagan Cramer, 18, from Edmonton, Alberta, despite being an excellent skateboarder, is a young and nervous driver who tries to compensate by jerking the steering wheel back and forth (termed the "wobble"). However, his dangerous driving is causing him trouble in meeting people of the opposite sex. The youngest nominee in the history of the series, he is nominated by his buddy, Mat Smith. He drives a black 1988 Ford Ranger.
Curt Higham
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Curt Higham, 51, from New Westminster, British Columbia, has been in 46 accidents through his driving career. Part of this may be because he is so distracted, often he does not watch the road. He was originally nominated by his husband of 31 years Vance McFadyen for Canada's Worst Driver 3, but it was only this year that he was accepted at rehab. In fact, Vance had refused to allow Curt to drive for over three years due to his driving record. He drives a green Ford F-150.
Donna Hicks
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Donna Hicks, 61, from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, is a fearless driver – so much so she refuses to stop at stop signs or red lights; yet simple driving tasks, such as reversing, seem to elude her. She even sometimes drinks and drives, which she claims happens "only when I play bingo"; i.e. when she drives home from the bingo hall. She is nominated by her son Claude Vinneau, who is worried for his safety, her safety, and the safety of her grandchildren. She drives a blue Dodge Spirit.
Lindsay Kloss
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Lindsay Kloss, 23, from Kelowna, British Columbia, is an accident-prone and extremely distracted driver, claiming to hit something every few weeks and knowing all of Kelowna's tow truck drivers on a personal basis. On one occasion, she managed to hit the gas meter of her fiancé's home. Her driving was so bad that three people nominated her, though fiancé TJ Papp will be the only one accompanying her through rehab. She drives a white 1991 Ford Taurus.
Ashley van Ham
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Ashley van Ham, 21, from Medicine Hat, Alberta, is a road raging and easily distracted driver (her favourite feature on her car is a plug to plug in a curling iron, ostensibly to curl her hair while driving), having cost her husband and nominator Bryan van Ham over $15,000 in vehicle repairs. Ashley enters rehab in order to protect their infant son, Diesel, and is especially motivated to graduate early in order to not miss his first birthday. She drives a black Ford F-350 and a Mitsubishi Endeavor.
Emily Wang
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Emily Wang, 33, from Calgary, Alberta, is an inexperienced and distracted driver, struggling with something as simple as moving a car forward. This may be because her driving skills were a result of having only 10 hours of training in obtaining her licence, and English is not her first language (having immigrated from China only four years ago). She is nominated by her fiancé (at the time of taping – they are married by the time the show aired), Scott Nicholson. She drives a green Chevrolet Cavalier.
Ken Westwood
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Ken Westwood, 59, from Mission, British Columbia, is a traveling salesman who has a habit of tailgating & speeding, and is unapologetic about his ruthless behaviour on the road. He is nominated by buddy John Levitt, who is worried that his antics may cost him his licence and his way of living. He drives a silver Kia Rio.
Amy-Lee Wisniewski
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Amy-Lee Wisniewski, 30, from Bethune, Saskatchewan, is a nervous wreck behind the wheel, stemming from a lack of confidence in driving. Because of this, she refuses to drive to Regina, even though her business depends on a weekly commute there. She is nominated by her husband Bob Wisniewski, a truck driver. She drives a white Pontiac Sunbird.
Experts
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Cam Woolley, an expert on the show since the second season, is a retired Ontario Provincial Police sergeant (who was still with the OPP at the time of filming).
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Philippe Létourneau is a high-performance driving instructor with the Jim Russell Racing School, having been also featured on Discovery's Star Racer series. He is also a lead driving instructor for BMW Driver Training and the "Ferrari Driving Experience" at the Mont Tremblant race track. Philippe has enjoyed a successful career with over 40 podium finishes in 120 race starts.
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Dr. Louisa Gembora is a psychologist operating out of Hamilton, who also races in her spare time.
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Dan Bagyan is the new head instructor for this season, and is a driving instructor with "Signature Driving School" in Eastern Ontario.
Written and presented by Andrew Younghusband
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