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Because most people do not put themselves in risky positions as a normal part of their day. The most important part of self defense has nothing to do with a gun. Be aware of your surroundings and you can avoid many bad events. Sure it means taking a small amount of time before you can engage an attacker but thats a tradeoff with the reduced risk of not having a round chambered round.

I agree situational awareness is extremely important and I am always looking out for trouble. As a LE professional I deal with criminals on a daily basis and some of them have threatened me. But SA isn't a cure-all. As for the reduced risk of not having a round chambered, I don't know what you're talking about. As long as your pistol is in its holster, there is no chance of a round being discharged. If you pull your pistol from its holster, it means you're in trouble and it needs to be ready immediately. You don't need to be in a risky area to at risk.

I don't know what military you were associated with, but with the M-9 the standard carry was round chambered and weapon decocked with the safety off. That was even during training exercises.