Is an Experimental Aircraft Safe?

In a word, yes. Experimental aircraft are inspected and certified by the FAA just like factory aircraft before they're allowed to fly. Even after they're certified by the FAA, they still have to undergo a very restrictive flight test period before being allowed to carry passengers or leave the local area. In fact, some people build their own aircraft because they want theirs to be BETTER than a factory aircraft. Experimental is the category the FAA puts aircraft into that aren't built on an assembly line in a factory.

Below is a quote from Bob Nuckolls' book, The Aeroelectric Connection:

"I often tell my readers they’re building the best airplanes to have ever flown. I explain by noting that people who work on assembly lines simply work a job. They may have special training for the task but by-in-large, if something doesn’t fit exactly right, they’re strongly motivated to “bend it a little” until it does. If something breaks, it’s not uncommon for a group of his supervisors to conference to see how to minimize the time and costs of pushing the airplane on down the assembly line. You folks WORRY a lot about everything. You generally don’t act until you’ve got the necessary advice and knowledge to do it right. If you mess it up, the parts come out and you do it over. By-in-large, amateur built planes have the benefits of care and consideration for doing a good job that factory built ships will never enjoy."