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.
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| Damaged automobile, Ontario Street, ca. 1909 |
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| Crowd looking over fence at wrecked automobile in ditch, south side of Dupont, east of Christie, ca. 1910 |
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| Electric car accident at Glen Road Bridge, 1912 |
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| Crowd looking at electric automobile in accident on Glen Road Bridge, 1912 |
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| Automobile on muddy Morley Avenue, 1912 |
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| Crowd on sidewalk watching an automobile mired in the mud on Morley Avenue, 1912 |
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| Russel car on muddy Yonge Street at Balliol Street, 1913 |
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| Margaretta Street wagon accident, 1914 |
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| Auto accident No. 1042 Bloor Street West near Walmer Road, 1918 |
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| 1042 Bloor Street West - auto accident. March 4, 1918. |
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| Tank crushing car in Victory Bond drive, University Avenue, 1934 |
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| Old Overland car after accident on Coxwell Avenue, 1919 |
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| Truck accident, unidentified location, 1920 |
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| Ford touring car with broken axle, 1920 |
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| Ontario Safety League, July 28, 1923 |
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| Safety first, 1928 |
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| Crash during automobile race, CNE Grandstand, ca. 1930 |
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| Toronto Star staff car stuck in the mud, 1934 |
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| Truck and streetcar accident, Danforth Avenue, ca. 1935 |
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| Women in shorts cause car to “crash” into pole, 1937 |
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