It is a helmet. But at least it's a helmet in situations where you get into brain cracking accidents multiple times a day. In the end the helmet allows you to get back up and continue your journey compared to when you had no helmet.
These modern approaches are not languages that result in constant memory-safety issues like you imply.
Or better yet, modern as 1961 Burroughs released ESPOL/NEWP and C was a decade away to be invented.