In addition to other points about making it progressively safe, unsafe Rust is still safer than C. https://bsky.app/profile/ssg.dev/post/3lkjogvm2c222
In C you only see the flags people know of or remembered to plant. There's an awful lot of mines left unflagged and sometimes you step on them.
It's very obvious to me which would be more safe and I find myself questioning why it is isn't so obvious to others.