The problem with bench seating is not side impact but accidental steering wheel input during hard cornering. In the typical 10 and 2 hand position having your butt move makes your shoulders move, the shoulders make the hands move, and now you’re understeering. Understeering on a mountain road likely means death, and on other roads a ditch or hitting a phone pole.
Steering position has been taught as 9 and 3 for a long time now… but still fair point. You can add a bit of alcantara to the seat to help you stay in place though. My RDX has it for the sporty-ish trim and it helps.
It’s never 9 and 3 in a turn though is it. It’s more like 8 and 1. Or just 1.
Skill issue. 100k miles on bench seats in full size sedans to full size pickups, including mountain roads, and nary a problem.