They are more aware but bad at putting it in perspective. This is the classic "fear leads to bad decisions".

Granted, depends on where you live, but statistically woods are probably a lot safer than a city with a lot of traffic. Sure, regionally that is not true, you might meet a Grizzly and/or Canadian.

> are we really sure this degree of freedom is so developmentally important to be worth the risk?

Absolutely. A child has to grow up and detach from it parents at some point. It doesn't at all mean having a bad relationship, just being independent. Helps if you aren't a complete beginner by the time it inevitably happens.