Sammys are incredibly reliable. if something does go wrong it is very cheap and easy to fix. As far as unsafe, the shorter wheel base is a dis advantage but as long as your not an idiot on the trail or on the street you'll be fine. the only time they tip is when someone is being dumb or doesnt know how to navigate a certain tricky obsticle. Their great trucks.

Samurai is a fun! Samurai is cheap! Samurai is tough! Not quite an investment, but you have to shop pretty hard to find a nice samurai for under 1600 on the west coast.

If your mom is worried about safe, you'll have to assure her that the Samurai is a lot safer than a motorcycle or vespa.

You can tell her that she'll never have to worry about you drag racing.

Let her know that driving a samurai will teach you humility. It's humbling when you learn that the slow lanes were built especially for you.  

Best not to talk about the chicks who dig body damage.

On a serious note:

the samurai is not a car. It needs to be driven safely.  Old Jeep, montero, fj40, or samurai it does not matter, these short, tall,  narrow vehicles are not cars. They can be quick to punish the mistakes that inexperienced, inattentive, or reckless drivers make.

The samurai rollover risks pretty much confirm this:
1) Alcohol
2) Inexperienced drivers (did any one over 40 die?)
3) first six months of ownership

All responses to this thread should begin as follows:

Dear trailboss' Mom,

Trailboss wants us all to tell you how reliable and safe his Samurai will be. As to relaiblity, it clearly begins with the condition of the little car when he buys it. If it is a high milage, rust bucket, beater, its going to need some work and trailboss is going to be spending his weekends (like many of us did on our first cars) working to fix it.

As to safety, as many have said before me(without directly saying it), trailboss needs to drive like he is NOT 16. That being said, even the 80's Samurai has to be safer than that old Pinto that was considered to be a good car in the 70's. The Samurai comes stock with seatbelts and even a rollbar (just in case).