The Ultimate Driving Challenge

This was a special TV presentation in 1993 at the height of many of its stars' popularity. Faces like Scott Bakula and Craig T. Nelson may not translate as well to modern drivers who wouldn't even be able to recognize them from anything at all.

Basically, it's an hour-long special that provides dangerous driving situations - and then asks what you'd do in the situation. (Usually out of four possible questions.) You have a few seconds to answer with the correct answer, and it's essentially a way of testing your own knowledge of road rules and regulations, as well as how you should act in a given situation.

Overall, kind of pathetic - more so because it is outdated rather than because it is poorly made. There is ONE good moment in this that is really touching - the camera focuses on a man who was paralyzed in a drunk-driving accident and we don't know he's paralyzed until the camera pulls back...the rest of the special is too commercial, clean, and superficial to really come across as striking and bold. If you have a license chances are you already know everything in here, and all the celebrities' guest appearances are just to make more people interested in seeing it.

My interest is safety and the saving of human lives, not criticizing film stars. I have been training commercial drivers for a number of years. This film has been a great asset because it is so difficult to get real (not fabricated TV stuff) footage of live collisions. Never have I presented the entire film for a class to watch but, instead, have separated out various segments where our drivers have had similar crashes or difficulties. The film has provided me with real footage to explain the defenses used to stay out of trouble. Although the film is now old, the drivers of the world keep crashing, dying and killing each other in the same old ways. I was searching to see if I could find a newer version when I came across this site. The thousands of passengers we carry every year depend on our drivers to get them there safely. My hope is that the people who commented that they were bored watching the film or who felt they were "made" to watch it, stay off the highway until they grow up!