Just because it's called a "safety car" doesn't mean it's always 100% safe. Any time you stick a slower vehicle out in front of faster-moving traffic, you're going to have trouble if everyone isn't paying attention. Here is a collection of pace car fails from over the years.
Everyone knows the famous scene from Days of Thunder, where Cole Trickle is told to hit the pace car:
But no! Hitting the pace car is a real thing. Release the pace car too slow, and things will happen. Have confusion between the flags, lights and the pace car slowing up everyone ahead of the field, and a big pile-up will happen. Have a blow-out on the pace car? Er, uh, I guess you'll have to use a pace truck.
Here's your daily reminder that yes, even driving the safety car in motorsports is dangerous.