I first saw this film in my driver's education class in high school. I was pleasantly surprised by the appearance of William Zabka (you remember him as Johnny Lawrence from "The Karate Kid"). I didn't think much of the rest of the film, as I was watching it in class and no doubt had some homework to do.
A friend of mine from college saw the box lying around in a movie bin at a local video store and he saw Zabka's picture on the cover, so he decided to buy it for me as a joke because he knew what a fan of "The Karate Kid" I am. We watched it and we were fascinated by a few things: the blatant overacting; the relationship between David Shaw, the new transfer, and Lucy Wilson, the high school sweetheart who "likes to maximize rejection"; and the use of the word 'forgetaboutthem'. Upon subsequent viewings (and there have been many), we found even more interesting the film's social commentary as depicted by Shaw's relationships with the African-American (Marcus) and the homosexual (Reynolds).
An interesting sidenote to the social commentary is the discussion of drinking and driving and the devastation it can cause - to a family, to a hockey team, and to a new kid's relationship with the (now former) captain's ex-girlfriend.
In all seriousness, though, if you are a driver's ed teacher, please show this film to your class. It demonstrates the formation of a great group which has now changed its name to Students Against Destructive Decisions, and it shows how drunk driving can impact so many people so terribly. As a joke to your class, point out some of the things I mentioned in this review, especially about William Zabka's role and the homosexual tendencies of Reynolds, and I'm sure your class will watch more intently.