It’s not a hat trick to be proud of.

Discovery Channel has named eight contestants for the eighth season of Canada’s Worst Driver, and three of them are from Edmonton.

“This is a new record, having three from the same city,” said the show’s casting director Meredith Veats, noting Calgary had two contestants one year.

“Alberta as a whole is home to a disproportionate number of bad drivers … I don’t know why the drivers are so bad there.”

Canada’s Worst Driver combed through more than 1,000 nominations to find the least competent.

For the final 40, Veats and other crew members traveled across Canada to take a half-hour videotaped ride with each contestant in their home city.

The local trio is made up of Azim, who once received a $2,300 speeding ticket, Margherita, who is one ticket away from losing her licence, and Flora, who has issues with her backseat-driving husband.

Veats’ trip through Edmonton in Margherita’s passenger seat was nearly enough to drive her mad.

“We had a pretty close call with a T-bone accident on a left turn,” Veats said. “She was eating French fries when she was driving me, and forgot to step on the brakes during the left turn. On the camera you can hear me say, ‘I’ve got to get a new job.’ It was insane.”

Coun. Kim Krushell, who sits on the city’s Office of Traffic Safety, says she was “absolutely not” surprised to find out Edmonton has three drivers in the top 8.

“I think it’s interesting, because I get calls from Edmontonians on traffic issues all the time. A lot of it has to do, unfortunately, with the drivers,” she said.

Krushell, who is a fan of the show, figures Edmontonians driving too fast, driving in snow without winter tires, and driving while distracted are key contributing factors to the danger on our roads.

“I was pleased that the province of Alberta took a stronger stand on texting and using your cellphones because I see it everywhere I drive,” she said. “I see tons of driving mistakes with distracted driving on a constant, daily basis.”

Coun. Kerry Diotte was also unfazed by the news that Edmonton has some of Canada’s worst behind the wheel.

“I think we all know that there’s some very bad drivers out there,” he said.

Diotte said provincial driving tests should be harder and the city should rethink its reliance on photo radar.

“What’s more important, really? Tagging somebody who’s doing a few kilometers over the speed limit in a 40-kilometre zone on dry pavement, or getting somebody off the road who’s truly a bad driver?” he said. “And I must have seen three of those (bad drivers) today.”

Canada’s Worst Driver puts contestants through a unique training program to help them become better drivers.

Season 8 will premier Oct. 29 on Discover Channel.

kevin.maimann@sunmedia.ca

@SunKevinM