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Canada's first association for motorists is formed

Canada's first association for motorists is created. Founding members of the Toronto Automobile Club take MPPs on a ride to show it's safe to increase the urban speed limit to 10 mph (from 8 mph).

In Ontario, there are about 178 registered motor vehicles, including 75 in Toronto. Public opposition to automobiles is limited; however, civic authorities and farmers are apprehensive about the impact this new "horseless carriage" will have on country roads.

'Automobiling' is considered the new sport of the rich, making it a target of much distain and jealousy. Only after a group of pioneer motorists bands together to oppose the rising hostility does the future of automobiles in Canada become a reality.

The first legislation dealing with motor vehicles is enacted. Auto clubs publish the first Official Road Guide Of Canada.

Auto clubs in Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa and Kingston operate as the Ontario Motor League (OML) to represent motorist's interests with one voice. OML membership includes 170 active and 56 associate members.

Road scouts on motorcycles patrol highways on weekends to warn motorists of speed traps and provide roadside assistance and advice on road conditions. Auto clubs advocate increased speed limits of 15 mph in urban centres and 20 mph in rural areas.

The OML erects Ontario's first road signs

The OML road-signing program officially begins when Dr. Peri Doolittle, first president of the Toronto Automobile Club and "Father" of the Trans-Canada Highway, starts a movement in which motorists, truck drivers and cyclists travel throughout Ontario installing wooden road signs. Doolittle changes his motto of "good roads for everybody" to "good roads abundantly sign-boarded" to generate enthusiasm for his road-sign campaign.

During a daylong event, each mile of the road from Toronto to Whitby is marked with directional signposts.

Over the years, more motorists join the road-sign campaign, which continues to build momentum through the First World War. By 1937, more than 200,000 road signs are erected on Ontario highways by the OML.

In 1913, the Canadian Automobile Federation forms, eventually changing its name to the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) in 1916.

OML provides ambulances for the armed forces during the First World War, while Members drive their cars to train stations to meet returning soldiers and drive them home.

Reciprocity of motor vehicle licences between Ontario and New York begins after 10 years of lobbying by OML. Reciprocity with other provinces and states soon follows.

OML advocates speed limit increases of 20 mph in cities and 25 mph in the country.

CAA urges the federal government to build a trans-Canada highway.

Emergency road service is introduced to OML members in Toronto.

OML members are now covered for emergency road service in Quebec and in the US.

First cross-Canada trip by car

Dr. Doolittle, at age 64, is the first to drive across Canada in a Canadian-built Model T Ford. He drives from Halifax to Vancouver to build federal government support for a trans-Canada highway.

OML announces emergency road service and legal defense benefits are available to members. There are now about 200 service stations on main roads in Ontario.

On July 1, a driver's licence becomes mandatory with OML as one of the issuers. Speed limits increase to 20 mph in cities and 35 mph in the country.

First aid posts for motorists established

First aid posts are established for motorists on Highway 2 where, based on records, crashes most frequently occur.

OML's engineering department conducts official automotive tests and issues certificates of fuel performance.

OML's main advocacy issues include snow removal from highways, luminous danger signs, guard fences, banked turns, road markings, side paths for pedestrians, uniform traffic regulations and glaring headlights.

OML introduces personal accident insurance as a member benefit. Ontario roads became safer thanks to the first OML-sponsored safety patroller program. The program uses student volunteers aged 11 to 14 and is established to protect youngsters from injuries caused by traffic at school crossings. Records show patrollers were first used in Chicago with remarkable success.

CAA assists the war effort

During the Second World War, the OML co-operates with various wartime controllers concerned with the operation of motor vehicles. Recycling of tires for war materials is a major CAA program, and servicing of essential motor-vehicle owners and operators connected with the war effort expanded greatly. Servicing of tourists is largely suspended during the war, but resumes after hostilities end.

Parliament passes the Trans-Canada Highway Act.

CAA hosts first Commonwealth motoring conference

The 1959 Commonwealth motoring conference is the first international event hosted by CAA. The conference focuses on establishing more motoring organizations in Commonwealth countries. Representatives of 57 Commonwealth auto clubs attend - from countries such as Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan and South Africa.

OML lobbies for mandatory seat belts

Up until 1962, it was unusual for motorists to use seat belts because cars did not come equipped with the safety devices - motorists had to buy and install their own. As part of its safety campaign, OML supplies members with belts that meet Canadian Safety Association standards and asks the provincial government to require all seat belts to meet these standards.

OML's first victory comes in 1963 when Ontario MPPs pass an Order in Council that bans the sale of belts that fail safety standards. OML continues to work with automakers to ensure seat belts not only meet safety standards, but are tested properly so defective ones are not sold.

OML continues to encourage motorists to buy and use seat belts, as well automakers to install them in every new car.

By the 70's, cars are built with seat belts installed. Seat-belt use becomes mandatory in Ontario in 1976.

OML becomes the exclusive issuer of International Driving Permits.

OML funds its first gasoline-tax study.

OML introduces fee-free travellers cheques.

The Ontario Motor Insurance company is established.

OML helps start the R.I.D.E. program - which originally stood for "Reduce Impaired Driving In Etobicoke" - to combat drunk driving.

The R.I.D.E. program prompts the first officially recorded statistics on fatal crashes involving alcohol. R.I.D.E. also leads to the first educational materials about drinking and driving, as well as the Designated Driver program.

It is so successful that after one year it is expanded province-wide and continues today. R.I.D.E. now officially stands for "Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere."

The OML-Approved Auto Repair Service is also started in 1977.

The Toronto OML club changes its name to CAA Toronto and starts an alcohol-awareness program in schools.

OML launches a campaign against gasoline tax increases.

A focus on women's car-care proves popular. More than 300 CAA members and their guests attend the first CAA Central Ontario seminar, "Women Auto Know" at no cost.

Subsequent seminars draw 1,000 people, making it Canada's largest car-care seminar for women.

CAA Ontario works with Crime Prevention Ontario to creates CAT - Combat Auto Theft - decals for motorists to deter car thieves. CAA Toronto amalgamates with CAA Eastern Ontario and becomes CAA Central Ontario.

CAA Central Ontario amalgamates with CAA Peterborough and CAA Windsor to become Canada's largest automobile club.

CAA's Battery Assist program is introduced, providing Members with on-the-spot battery service and replacement by trained technicians.

CAA Central Ontario holds its first "Licensed to Live" presentation, a hard-hitting anti-drinking and driving program that includes student dramatizations and solemn presentations by victims, survivors and offenders of impaired driving tragedies. The program attracts 4,500 teenagers from parts of Ontario, making it the largest event of its kind in Ontario history.

CAA creates "Shifting Gears," a daylong safe driving program for seniors. It features presentations by experts about driver testing requirements, the effects of aging and medication on driving ability and ways to maintain independence after giving up the keys.

The program, co-sponsored by the provincial government, is later expanded province-wide by other Ontario CAA clubs and attracts up to 1,000 seniors per seminar.

CAA Central Ontario designs a new logo for its patroller program and organizes a motto contest. The winning motto "Safety is our Specialty" is submitted by a Brampton patroller and selected from hundreds of entries.

CAA Central Ontario celebrates its centennial year.

CAA Central Ontario launches its first "Mission Possible" road safety project, a seven-week campaign targeting unsafe speeds on highways and residential streets in the Greater Toronto Area. Enforced by police services in Toronto, York, Peel and Durham, the campaign also features high-profile billboards, radio ads, messages on MTO electronic signs, speed boards and hand-out materials to drive the message home.

CAA Central Ontario amalgamates with CAA South Central Ontario and CAA Mid-Western Ontario to become an auto-club giant called CAA South Central Ontario, providing services to almost 1.6 million members.

Three CAA clubs in Ontario merge to become CAA South Central Ontario.

CAA South Central Ontario launches its first-ever clean-air initiative, Autogreen. The program aims to educate motorists on how their driving and vehicle maintenance behaviours contribute to air pollution and what steps they can take to reduce their vehicle's environmental footprint.

Dr. David Suzuki partners with CAA on its Great Battery Round-up, a program where Members can get rid of their old vehicle batteries in an environmentally friendly way.

CAA South Central Ontario tops 1.8 million card-carrying Members.

Significant investments are made to enhance our retail operations, retrofitting existing stores or moving old ones to new locations, including Oakville, Toronto and Kitchener. Each of the locations offers Members a one-stop-shop for everything from TripTiks®, to insurance to travel.

On the travel front, CAA South Central Ontario enhanced its partnership with AmericanTours International (ATI). By becoming a part-owner in ATI, CAA South Central Ontario will continue to develop highly competitive North American, Caribbean, Asian and other exotic tour packages that will meet the needs of our travel customers by offering better value, better delivery and a wider range of travel offerings.

Insurance continued to develop and deliver innovative products, like identity theft and driving record protection. These new products enhanced an already comprehensive line of standard offerings in auto, home and lifestyle insurance.

On our advocacy front, CAA South Central Ontario expanded its existing Autogreen clean-air initiative, offering Members tips on how to reduce their vehicles' emissions. It also sponsored a Private Member's Bill that called on the government to ban novice drivers from using hand-held electronic devices while driving.