This freedom of choice is carried over to the game itself. When you climb behind the wheel you can see your target destination on the overhead map but you have total freedom in choosing your route. While the city maps are admittedly scaled down, there are still plenty of miles of city blocks to drive around on and most of the major landmarks are in their proper location. You can choose the narrow city streets, back-roads and alleys, or you can take the major highways full of traffic. Either way, you will sooner or later pick up a cop, and that's when the fun starts.
Driver is about car chases and car wrecks.
Theoretically you can drive the speed limit and the cops will leave you alone but sooner or later you are going to get a mission where you have to drive across town in less than 3 minutes and you will be forced to put the pedal to the metal and attract the attention of the cops. Police will pursue you through even the heaviest of traffic. Your police scanner will let you eavesdrop on their chatter as they yell out all of the crimes you are committing and your current speed and heading. The higher the meter the tougher the cops get. They will start calling in for backup and roadblocks.