The "One life saved makes it worth it no matter what the cost" arguement sounds noble but it isn't realistic at all. If it was, we'd see 5 point harnesses in all passenger cars, mandatory front and side airbags and narrow wheelbased vehicles would be outlawed.
In my opinion, the NEC could have made a requirement for dual voltage series wired smoke detectors in every habitable room of a dwelling and been a lot more effective in reducing the number of fire deaths nation wide. As it stands now smokes are a local or state requirement and, at least in my area, not enforced uniformly.
The level of safety achieved with the installation of smoke detectors is well documented and their cost effectiveness is recognized by the insurance industry in the form of premium discounts to customers who install them. Are insurance companys offering similar discounts for the installation of AFCIs? That would be an incentive for homeowners to install them and a marketing tool for ECs to push them.
It would be interesting to see if the insurance industry recognizes a cost benefit large enough to offer incentives.
