Yes ESP is a god-send. But the other stuff sux!!!
Talking about safety, I was recently told that if you hit a pole (or tree) sideways above 30kmh without curtain airbags and you'll be toast. Side airbags will increase that critical speed slightly. A few questioned this submission, thinking the fatal speed would be much higher. They were given an interesting comparison: How fast can you run? (A = 30kmh). Now try running flat out at a pole and turn sideways just before you hit. Would you survive? The roof and side of a vehicle provide minimal protection, due to the deformation required to absorb the impact from a relatively narrow object and the distance between the side of the vehicle and the head of the occupant. Suddenly 30kmh seems fast!
Without boring you, let me say that a multitude of 'things' together make for a safer vehicle.
It's a combination of higher strength steel (various grades up to the point of not being able to cut some, even with an oxy), deformation zones to soften the final impact in the cabin and then comes the multitudes of airbags, from the facial, to the curtain (over the side windows), passing by the knee bags and the side bags.
There is a trial going on for roof-mounted bags that would drop in front of the driver and passenger at the same time and many other different air bag tests.
