In the UK we did mandate that a pedestrian must walk in front of the car with a red flag to warn of the approaching vehicle though for a while!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_flag_traffic_laws#Red_flag...

There were preciously little regulations in the 1900s though. Don't you think if cars were invented today they would face a whole lot of regulations?

Cars do face a ton of regulations today. You can’t sell a car if it doesn’t meet or exceed hundreds of regulations.

1900s also had child labor and black lung. Not a standard to aspire to.