Safety culture, once seen as a comprehensive solution to safety challenges, has evolved into a problematic concept, particularly regarding its measurement and implementation. The notion of safety culture maturity, often depicted as a developmental journey through stages, is central to this issue. Popular models like the HSE culture ladder and DuPont Bradley curve lack operational clarity and fail to provide necessary knowledge for defining current states and setting achievable goals. This renders safety culture maturity an aspirational yet impractical concept. These limitations reflect broader issues in safety management: the reliance on simplistic solutions that reduce complex socio-technical realities to singular remedies. The pattern of safety approaches has evolved from technical safeguards (18th century) to human factors engineering (mid-20th century) to managerial focus, with each shift reflecting reactions to previous inadequacies. This paper critically examines the deficiencies of safety culture maturity models and calls for a more nuanced, systemic approach to safety management in complex environments.