When cars first appeared in Toronto in the early 1900s, there were few regulations and very limited driver education. Most drivers had no formal training—they just bought a car and hit the road. Predictably, accidents became more common as more people tried to figure out how to drive in real time.
Traffic laws were either minimal or completely ignored. Speed limits were set ridiculously low—around 8 to 10 mph in city areas—but drivers regularly broke them. Pedestrians and horse-drawn vehicles still dominated the roads, which meant constant clashes between the old and new modes of transportation.
Streetcars ruled many of the main routes in Toronto, and early car drivers had to deal with tracks, frequent stops, and passengers hopping on and off. Many didn’t handle it well—cars would try to weave around streetcars and end up smashing into them or the curbs. Streetcar vs. automobile collisions became a regular event.
Here’s a selection of 20 vintage images of bad driving in Toronto from the early 20th century. All photos from from the City of Toronto Archives collection.
Damaged automobile, Ontario Street, ca. 1909
Crowd looking over fence at wrecked automobile in ditch, south side of Dupont, east of Christie, ca. 1910
Electric car accident at Glen Road Bridge, 1912
Crowd looking at electric automobile in accident on Glen Road Bridge, 1912
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