I think safe is a politically correct response to insurance demands.
We hot rodders, I think I speak for a lot of people, really design their vehicles to endure. I doubt very much an hotrodder then enters his grocerygetter and forgets about inertia, handling, acceleration, tire compound and road conditions.
My wife is an example. She was an insurance agent for years. She would purchase an automobile based on consumer reports and neglect it into the ground. Completely ignorant of what an automobile is. She was not safe in the living room arm chair! It was nothing for her to drive around in a vehicle with only one disc brake working, the oil pressure light blazing, overheating, knocking and her running through stop lights, stop signs, curbs, into buildings.
We got married after her divorce. I am an hotrodder. It is in my blood.
I rebuilt my 383/350 in my living room, with her helping. She no longer lets her oil light blaze, or even come near. She no longer tolerates missing cylinders. She no longer runs stop lights, stop signs, she is aware of other drivers and is not suprised at things driving.
I built a T-bucket years ago, with a big block and blower. I stretched the front ind 16". I also built it for go, not show. After building the car, there was no way I would risk my effort just to turn an head. Same with my Cobra.
I do not think you can build safety into an automobile that compensates for ignorance. My wife was ignorant. She is no gear head now, but, her driving is vastly improved. She knows what an automobile can do both doing its job, and biting hard. She now knows nothing is safe and that makes her safer.
We retired our shop van with the 383. I will do an S10 conversion with it down the road. Our shop recquirements dictate a larger vehicle. She now drives a 1987 Suburban with the 9300lb towing package, and 454 with TBI. After the van, nothing to her is safe and she takes no chances. She is no longer afraid either. That makes her safe, and it took me making her wrench and diagnose.
She goes up to her vehicle, looks at the tires, general condition of the vehicle. She now takes her foot off the fuel when she comes up to a stale green light. She is aware of the body length, she knows braking theory, distance to stop from a particular speed.
She knows acceleration, distance to attain speed, and torque curves.
She even understands steering theory! She backs into parking spaces rather than nosing in and is as comfortable with mirrors as looking through the windshield.
She is now fairly safe, and keeps her vehicle "safe" and all systems functioning.
That does not eliminate someone like she was driving in the other lane. We have Q-tips driving down here and nothing is safe from them.
We watched a Q-tip mistake the accelerator for the brake, so the police report said, drive over two parked cars and go through a window in a Winn Dixie.
What would our rods be if we made them safe from that?
I believe safe is paying attention constantly, not cutting a single corner on the vehicle, and not settling for less than perfect. After that, life without risk is not living.