>kinda like how we love to tell everyone how chuffed we are with how safe our AC plugs are.

I would actually love to see some data that compares total deaths and injuries per capita from electrocution from plugs across different countries. I have a feeling the total worldwide figures are tiny in comparison to injuries from stepping barefoot/putting your knee on UK plugs.

Also, UK plugs tend to have the wire coming out the bottom and then curving upwards as the electrical device is usually above the socket, over time resulting in an exposed wire, while most other plugs have the wire coming out the centre.

I've never seen a plug that has an exposed wire for that reason - all the plugs have a heavy clamp internally that attaches to the outer sheath, preventing the movement that would cause this. I would suspect that any plugs where wear has caused exposure are either properly ancient, or were wired incorrectly (eg by trimming the outer sheath short of the clamp).

The big danger from outlets and plugs is fire rather than electric shock, which is what you'd need to compare.

The nominal idea is that having them come straight out encourages people to remove plugs by pulling on the cord, which introduces even more strain than having a curved wire - although maybe this ends up being an argument to mount UK sockets the other way up?