San Francisco, few days before earthquke, 1906 (look)
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Specifically, that version has the frame rate better adjusted to real time, and is intercut with scenes after the earthquake and fires. It also is not stretched in width.
There were about 17,000 automobiles registered in CA in 1905, and they were required to display the license number in 3" black letters on a white background. That fits with most of the cars. The clincher as to authenticity though is that this is a ride on the Market Street Cable Car. Note that there is a slot in between the tracks for access to the cable and that there is no overhead trolley pickup, as seen on the trolleys going across the path of the cable car. Immediately after the earthquake, emergency trolley service was re-established via the use of overhead wires, and the cable was taken out of service permanently.
The craziness of the drivers and pedestrians is partly accounted for by the way the film was shot. Note how the Ferry Building tower in the distance remains as a fairly large visible object during the entire ride. For the tower to appear that high, the camera had to be using a slightly telephoto lens, which would make cars in people near it appear closer than they really were.
Observational skills are sometimes lacking and sometimes misleading.
Making assumptions of actions in 1906 based on current context is wrong.
As observed in the video part way through: A young boy runs out in front of the cable car and easily paces it.
On average the running speed of a man is about 7mph. So how fast do you think the cable car is moving?
Our driving speeds today are four times that even in a school zone...
As for the "crazy" driving, the automobile was new. There were no rules. People drove cars like they drove horses and wagons, they just went where they had to go. Why not? No one is going faster than about 10 mph.
Both of those were really interesting.
I'm sure the trolleys were going very slow. Probably slow enough that people could get on and off without it coming to a complete stop.
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