Say what you want about the dangers of going into the outdoors -- even unprepared for the weather -- but the fact remains that riding in a car is much more dangerous than most everything else people do. When I first volunteered for the Mt. Washington Observatory in the mid-90s, the snowcat loaded at Glen House and actually crossed Rt 16 to start the trip up the Auto Road (they don't cross anymore.) The snowcat driver said, "Here comes the most dangerous part of the journey" as we crossed the highway. I laughed. He indicated that he wasn't joking. There are all kinds of things that can go wrong on the higher slopes in winter, he said, but it STILL doesn't even come close to the danger level that exists on a highway. Being on the mountain IS dangerous. But being on the highway is even more so.
Riding in a car today is still more dangerous than flying was, prior to the 9/11 security restrictions. Therefore, lots of people need rescue from motor vehicle situations. In many areas, the rescue crews send them a bill for the rescue. Most ambulance services do that anyway. The recieving hospital is definitely going to start a tab on those people, the minute they roll through the door.
These charges have nothing to do with whether or not the people were smart or stupid. It's just the way those rescue agencies operate. Some do it for free, and some don't. Some send bills knowing that only a certain percentage of them will come back paid, and they let the unpaid bills go.
If you're on the road, or if you're at home when you need to call for rescue, as most people are, you can expect in most places to get at least one bill, maybe more. Why should it be any different in the mountains? Why conduct labor-intensive mountain rescues for free, when in so many places roadside rescues and backyard rescues aren't?
Post a sign at the trailheads that says backcountry rescue costs money -- for everyone -- just as it does in non-wilderness settings.
Never mind the debate over how dangerous the wilderness is. They who shout such things the loudest are forgetting the fact that when they drive on a 2-lane road, they have no idea who's driving the oncoming vehicles or what kind of day/night those people are having.
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