Regulations to prevent the misuse of drones

A new consultation has been launched by the government to discuss measures to prevent the misuse of drones.

The new measures could see on-the-spot fines and the ability to seize drones if necessary. With a rapidly growing drone sector, and use of drones expected to multiply exponentially over the coming years by businesses and for leisure, the measures are intended to ensure drones are being used safely.

The drones industry is growing very quickly as more and more businesses recognise the benefits drones can bring, recent PwC research predicted the drone industry could be worth £42Bn to the UK by 2030, and other experts looking at even larger figures. As such, the government has decided that a blueprint for safe and secure use of drones needs to be established now to help prepare for the future.

Drones are already being used for a myriad of exciting applications, for example; Costain use drones for inspections at Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station, saving 50% of costs compared to the use of helicopters or human inspection teams, while similar savings can be seen on wind turbine inspections. Meanwhile, Network Rail are using drones to improve track maintenance and boost field worker efficiency, whilst reducing the amount of work at height required on Network Rail’s assets. It is therefore essential the sector develops with a strong framework to encourage innovation and growth while keeping people safe.

The police and security personnel already have powers to address the misuse of drones, but these new proposals will reinforce the importance of complying with drone safety rules, and create a tailored toolkit to ensure they are observed.

The measures in the consultation are part of a wider programme of new drone legislation and will shape the content of a draft Drones Bill due to be published later this year.

Proposed measures include:

• police issuing fixed penalty notices to those disregarding drone rules
• using new counter-drone technology to protect public events and critical national infrastructure and stop contraband reaching prisons
• introducing minimum age restrictions for drone owners in addition to the new tests they will need to take
• proposals for regulating and mandating the use of ‘apps’ on which pilots would file flight plans ahead of take-off

Baroness Sugg, Aviation Minister, said: “Drones present exciting benefits to our society and our economy, but with a small group of people choosing to use them for harm there are challenges we must overcome if we are to prevent them hindering the potential of this technology.

“That’s why we’ve already introduced safety measures like a height limit, and rules around airports, and today we are consulting on how we go further, including extra police powers and a minimum age requirement.”

The proposals are part of a package of work from the government to ensure drones are flown safely, implementing new height and airport boundary restrictions.

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