In F1 there has been a lot of effort to make sure drivers don't kill themself, e.g. the HANS (Head and Neck Support) which prevents the heavy helmet from snapping the driver's neck on impact, or the "Halo" which protects the driver when cars flip over. And these are just two of the most visible safety measures. Not saying someone completely inexperienced couldn't manage to kill himself, but most people would probably not even get to that point, they would simply fail to get the car into gear without killing the engine...