But then we come back to the question of whether the chute itself encourages pilots to fly in conditions they would normally avoid?
I am sure this is a factor, very hard to measure and quantify, I ask myself this question and for example I am not overly confident and current with night flying, but when I do fly at night I certainly feel more confident with the Chute as an option.
Does this encourage me to do it more often, No
Would I fly at Night without a chute in a SEP, not sure.
I also feel more secure when I fly over rough terrain, mountains and water, so does this increase my risk profile, maybe.