New Jersey Lawmakers Vote to Ban Intoxicated Drone Operators
Have you ever wondered about the different types of drone owners flying drones around your neighborhood? While many follow the rules and laws, unfortunately there’s always a group of people who don’t. It’s normally this group of people who don’t care, that give the rest of the law abiding drone operators a bad name. In the United States alone, a million of drones are now sold every year. This means that the numbers of irresponsible drone operators will unfortunately also be on the rise.
But for those who live in New Jersey, help is now available. Last Monday, New Jersey lawmakers voted on a bill to ban intoxicated drone operators from flying when under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The vote final vote was unfortunately postponed because of the snow on Thursday. Hopefully, when voting resumes, NJ residents will get a respite from irresponsible drone operators.
Since drones are now a favorite new hobby for many people, there’s been many incidents across the US that have been attributed to careless drone operations. There was recently an incident of a drone being used to deliver narcotics by a California couple while their 9-year old daughter was present in their residence. They have been charged with dealing drugs and child endangerment. Also, during the wildfires last year, authorities were exasperated when some operators flew their drones into a no-fly-zone used by rescue helicopters. This was a major interference with emergency services that could have caused a major catastrophe.
There has been several cases of drones being flown by intoxicated operators including a US government employee who lost control when flying his drone near the White House. A new law will punish any offenders with up to 6 months in prison and a fine of $1,000. The same punishment will also be handed out to those who use their drones to endanger the lives of others and their property – including those who interfere with emergency operations. Hopefully the new law will be a deterrent to those thinking of flying their drone while intoxicated, which will help to prevent future injuries as well as damage to properties.
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