Do people still cook something in the oven and go out for the day?

I don’t, because even though I am roasting something for three hours, it still needs attending.

If I am going to cook something all day to stew in its own juices, I will cook it in a crock pot.

I haven’t done that, but I will leave something cooking in an electric crock pot all night sometimes.

If I’m going to cook a roast, which isn’t very often, I do it on one of the weekend days. I would not leave the house and leave the stove on. And I don’t even like to use the Crock-Pot overnight, not because I’m worried about any potential issues, but because I like to stir whatever it is once an hour or so so that it doesn’t stick on the sides.

I do not. I can not stand the thought of coming back home to see my place aflame.

We used to put the turkey in the oven on Thanksgiving and go out for an afternoon hike. I don’t cook roasts any more.

Pot roast on a Dutch Oven – - 4 hours ! 290* F with onion, celery and carrots (spices and chicken stock).

I will let an oven warm up, unattended.
Even that, is not something I do often.

Unless you leave it on as hot as it can get, for a bit, it shouldn’t be a problem. But. Food, especially a hunk of meat can pop, sizzle and spread grease.
There are several very dangerous variables that are too risky for me.

I don’t leave the house with something in the oven.
However, I do pop out to the store or wherever with something in the crock pot.

I’m paranoid (or cautious, depending on how you look at it) and would never.

My mom used to put things in the crock pot, on “low” and go to work, and it was fine. I am a bit too paranoid (or cautious) to do that. I am trying to remember if she would leave the oven on if we weren’t home. I don’t think she would.

People today are probably more apt to leave a crock pot cooking all day than the oven. We are all aware of the cost of heating an oven vs slow cooker. I, myself, do not leave anything cooking while I am away from home. The worry is me having an accident and not making it back home in the time frame that would be normal.