You miss the logic of the database if you think that you can simply play the moves with the highest percentages. You have to understand why to move a particular way. All the databases in the world won't tell you that.
The database does tell you what moves are most popular, and will show you candidate moves you didn't consider. That's useful information to help you to improve.
There are no shortcuts--it's up to you to analyze the positions and decide what you think is best.
This seems like a bit of gray area to me, since databases of computer games are coming into use.
The problem is that the database use in inherited from older ages, when "the one with the largest library wins". In those times without computers, databases (ie chess books) were allowed because well, how to enforce their banning? Plus it makes for interesting games too. And each serious correspondance game was finding an improvement over previous games.
Of course nowadays that silicium slaves can win the game by themselves the problem has changed. If ever the computers become brutal enough to force a draw/win against the best centaur players, this will be most likely the end of correspondance chess.