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She's one of the few female reporters covering the sports beat on television. At 28, she has fast-tracked her career. And this fall, Nikki Reyes gears up to host two new shows, Score in the Morning and NBA Excel on The Score Television Network.

While she may know her way around the basketball court, on the road, it's a different story. She's still green when it comes to driving her car — a used 2003 Honda Civic LX coupe.

"I'm still learning to drive standard. I'm still stalling the car and I've been driving standard about eight years now. I don't know what that says about my driving skills but I still get nervous on hills. let's just put it that way," says the former MuchMusic producer and OMNI-2 host.

"There's something about driving a standard car that makes me feel cool, like I'm a race car driver. I like the speed of the car; it has a little kick in the torque, so that's fun. I do feel like I'm driving a better car than I really am."

But speed has cost her. "I get into a lot of car accidents. … I do like to drive fast. My insurance is reflective of that. And I've had to pay for it a lot. I do have a bit of a speeding problem. I enjoy driving on open roads and going fast.

"One of my dreams is to race on a track. Otherwise, I don't like driving. I don't like being in traffic. There's too much traffic in Toronto," says Reyes, who is in the midst of moving from Markham to Toronto.

But she hasn't been stopped just for speeding. "I was in traffic and I didn't have my seatbelt on because I just pulled out of the parking lot and I had this shawl on and I wanted to take it off because I couldn't drive. And there was a cop on a horse.

"So I put it on and then the horse trotted right up to my window and the cop knocked on my window and he busted me for not having my seatbelt on. I was in the dead of traffic on Spadina. That's me. That's my luck again."

Reyes' first car was also a Honda Civic, a 1998 DX hatchback she dubbed Ladybug. But Ladybug came to a tragic end last year — that's when she replaced it with her current Civic she calls Silver Saddle.

"I smashed into someone and kind of totalled my first car. I rear-ended someone. I was on the Gardiner [Expressway] and I just didn't stop fast enough.

"It was a real traumatizing experience — I didn't realize how close I was to my car. We were together for so long. She was with me throughout college and all the partying. ...

"And now I have the Silver Saddle — she's a step up from the Ladybug," laughs the single, bubbly brunette. Unfortunately, Silver Saddle isn't immune to accidents either. "Two weeks ago, I got rear-ended again so right now my car is smushed in the back.

"That's me. That's my life. I don't know if the universe is telling me I should just walk."

Perhaps she's right; her car mishaps seem endless. "My girlfriend and I went to a club to see a concert and as we were leaving we were being pursued by two guys. We ran to my car to get away from them and as I tried to back out and leave, I hit a car.

"Of course, it was a cop car. There were dozens of people in the parking lot at this point staring as the cop examined his car for damage. I was mortified. Thankfully there was no damage to either car, and he let me leave."

It's no surprise Reyes failed her driver's licence test on the first try. But she didn't exactly have the best teacher. "My brother never wanted a sister, so he tries to teach me how to drive like a guy — whatever that means. Like, 'Don't be so uptight when you drive, try to look cool.' Probably everything you shouldn't be doing as a driver. It's all about appearances to my brother."

Reyes prefers driving a low-key car such as her Civic. "It's practical. Reliable. Efficient. I think that's me. I'm pretty practical. Pretty reliable. I'm not too flashy. I don't need a lot of attention — I'm just there for you if you need me.

"On TV, I try to be a bit larger than I really am, but in real life, I'm really not that exciting. I think my car is reflective of that. Like silver, two doors — it's kind of plain Jane. It would probably get lost in the parking lot."

Nor is her dream car flashy. "I'd go with something practical and a little environmentally friendly — maybe a Honda Civic Hybrid or a [Toyota] Prius," she says. But then she confesses, "I'd want an Aston Martin but I wouldn't trust myself, knowing my luck. I'm really clumsy. It probably wouldn't last long. I wouldn't trust myself with a fancy car."