Drunk Drone Operators Face Jail And A Fine In New Jersey

New Jersey has signed into a law a new bill that makes it illegal for drone owners to operate their UAVs while drunk. Assuming a drone owner is caught flying a drone with too much alcohol in their system, they face a $1,000 fine and up to half a year in jail. The law aims at protecting public safety, as drone operators may be less inclined to follow the rules or may recklessly operate the aerial vehicle.

The bill was signed into law earlier this week by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, according to Reuters, marking his last day in office. Under the law, anyone caught flying a drone who has a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or greater faces action. This is the same as the state's drunk driving blood alcohol level.

As drones become more popular, the government has moved to implement rules and restrictions to protect people and sensitive locations. Drones can't be operated near airports, for example, due to the risk they pose to aircraft. More recently, the FCC banned drone operation near several nuclear energy sites to protect them from potential surveillance and other risks.

The US government has been back and forth on whether drone operators need to be registered; in the most recent turn of events, that require was reinstated, though it had previously been reversed. Registering provides some level of identification in instances where a drone is caught being operated somewhere it isn't allowed.

Still, illegal drone operation can be difficult to deal with, leading many companies and groups around the world to experiment with various anti-drone systems. One system that has become popular involves disrupting a drone's wireless signal to its controller, causing it to automatically turn around and return to its operator.

SOURCE: Reuters