> I would certainly not buy a car from a company that's clearly disregarded safety so badly, and would prefer avoiding being in one for any other reason (friends/rideshare/whatever).

That's a lot of cars. The standard in the auto industry is to design specifically for regulatory tests, and/or popular industry tests, in a specific region. All major automakers sell cars that intentionally lack safety features in regions that don't explicitly require them, if it will give their vehicle a price advantage in that market.

e.g. you can still buy vehicles without airbags made by major auto manufacturers.