Carriages were certainly dangerous, but the death rates from carriage travel wouldn't be immediately comparable to those from car travel since the rise of the l

Carriages were certainly dangerous, but the death rates from carriage travel wouldn't be immediately comparable to those from car travel since the rise of the latter changed the geometry of cities. In so far as the city became more car-centric, they also became more dangerous to pedestrians. Wider streets and longer stretches of road encourage drivers do go faster than they would otherwise, as in a narrow lane or turning a corner. But these also mean longer crossing and travel times for pedestrians, such that they are more exposed to accidents on average.