I hate having to lug around a heavy carry on bag. I would much rather check it. I suspect many others feel the same way. But I don't feel that I can check all the expensive equipment I frequently carry. In order for me to do that, airlines have got to stop treating checked baggage with contempt. Airlines have created an environment in which passengers feel it is better / safer to carry on than check, so there is always going to be a risk that in a pressured and traumatic environment, passengers decide to take their bags with them again.
To cut down dramatically on the amount of carry on bags - and thus eliminate a large part of this problem - I suggest airlines come up with some sort of charter similar to the following:
* We will compensate you at fair market rates for your bag and its contents, whatever that value may be, if it is damaged, lost, stolen or destroyed while in our care, whether it is checked or left in overhead bins during an evacuation. You do not need your own insurance, while your bag is in our care it is our responsibility and we will compensate you fully
* We will make payments to you at the same level (and in the same time bands) as we do for passenger delays, if we fail to return your bag to you at the end of your journey
* We will compensate you for out of pocket expenses if we fail to return your bag to you at the end of your journey, and continue to do so until we do return your bag to you or we pay you for the loss of your bag
* We will ensure you have access to (and pay for if necessary) any medication that you may need that is in bags that are mishandled, delayed, lost or destroyed by us, whether checked or left in overhead bins during an evacuation
* We will work with the authorities to ensure that you can continue, unhindered, to your ticketed destination if your travel documents are lost by us or have to be left on an aircraft that you have to evacuate
* We will ensure that the checked baggage is on the reclaim carousel in the time it takes for the last passenger to walk to the carousel
I bet there is not one airline that is prepared to take proper responsibility for the baggage that is placed in its care, although doing so would go a long way to solving this problem in many cases.