C++ is safer than C

this is the often said sentiment, because C++ has more complex type/class system

In reality, bugs in C++ are hidden behind layers of abstraction while C bugs are in plain sight. Fixing complex C++ code is far harder and takes much more time to properly debug. The Stroutstrup copypasta is true.
Just look at any medium size C++ project and you'll see its filled with bugs and bug reports that developers can't deal with it. C projects in constrast fix everything really fast because the bugs are obvious "in-you-face" violations of logic and common sense.

>>8,10
in most cases if you use std::unique_ptr without doing anything weird, the compiler will produce the same code as if you used a raw pointer and new/delete. there's literally no reason not to use it.