It’s always struck me as odd that crumple zones help absorb impacts which makes cars safer. Yet race cars have roll cages which make them safer.
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This really dives into a big bag of things. Roll cages are extremely rigid structures. If you were in a car that had a roll cage wearing a regular seatbelt you would most likely suffer extreme injury from hitting your head on the roll bar. If you did not hit the roll bar you would probably submarine. A race car driver is wearing a 5 point harness, a HANS device and most critically a helmet. When they get in an accident the cage is crush proof but they are kind of along for the ride. They physically CANNOT move to hit their head or “submarine” downwards. A consumer car has crumple zones to deflect the energy from the impact around the cabin while the airbags hold you in place.
TLDR: Roll cages are inherently dangerous in a road car without other safety equipment. Road cars are designed to be as safe as possible for the average consumer without the need for additional equipment.
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