UK government to propose new drone measures

The UK government has shown its willingness to safeguard the public amid the boom in use of drones, or UAVs, by aiming to introduce new measures governing their use, with measures currently out for consultation to include:
– mandatory registration of new drones
– tougher penalties for illegal flying near no-fly zones and new signs for no-fly zones at sensitivesites such as airports and prisons
– making drones electronically identifiable so the owner’s details can be passed to police if they are spotted breaking the law.
The government is also considering the possibility of making the misuse of drones a criminal offense.
With the drone industry estimated to be worth around US$125 billion by 1925, the government wants to see its success achieved on the back of safety and with public support. According to Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Aviation Minister: “Drones have enormous economic potential and are already being used by emergency services, transport and energy providers and conservation groups to improve services, respond to incidents and save lives.
“While the vast majority of drone users are law-abiding and have good intentions, some operators are not aware of the rules, or choose to break them, putting public safety, privacy and security at risk. The government is taking a common sense approach to tackling this behavior, ensuring the safe roll-out of this technology.”
Current regulation has achieved a balance between clear rules on safety and strong penalties for misuse, while commercial enterprises require permission to operate drones. Tim Johnson, Policy Director at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is quoted as saying that : “Our priority is the safe operation of drones and we cannot underestimate the importance of understanding how to use drones safely and responsibly. The new CAA Dronecode, which forms part of our wider drone awareness campaign, is designed to help protect the safety of the wider aviation industry. Drones have significant potential to drive benefits across a range of sectors, from farming to emergency response, healthcare to logistics. We encourage anyone with an interest in this area to respond to the government’s consultation.”