I think you are misunderstanding my intent.

I consider preplanning a survival skill because it is. Going into the wilderness, downtown LA, or downtown Tokyo requires some preparation for Most people because going anywhere without knowing what you are up against is dangerous to some degree.

As a SAR volunteer who has searched the central Sierra for hunters, day hikers, campers, fishermen, tourists etc who Had no intent to be in a survival situation, i can tell you that they are getting in trouble at about the same rate as people who should know better or have significant experience or training. We have looked for lifelong backpackers and barefoot kids who "just went for a walk." We are still looking for an experienced, prepared hunter who vanished. The main survival skill Most have in common is the ability to stay calm. Being in an altered state due to dehydration or making decisions while panicked results in worse outcomes.

Learning as much as you can before going backpacking radically reduces risk of many extremely common problems. Awareness comes first. Then you have half a chance at getting people to make an attempt at skill building. Preventive SAR is one of my current and ongoing projects.