New drone bill will enforce registration for owners of drones weighing over 250g and introduce safety awareness courses for all users when published in 2018The government is planning to create a raft of new police powers as part of a crackdown on the civilian use of drones, the Department for Transport has announced. The new drone bill to be published in 2018 will allow police officers to order drone operators to ground their devices where necessary, alongside a series of new changes that will create a mandatory registry for larger unmanned aerial vehicles, such as those sold by Parrot or DJI. The proposed bill will be accompanied by changes to the air navigation order that will introduce safety awareness tests for drone users, and the requirement to register with the government before flying drones that weigh more than 250g. “These new laws strike a balance, to allow the vast majority of drone users to continue flying safely and responsibly, while also paving the way for drone technology to revolutionise businesses and public services.”Tim Johnson, policy director at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), said: “The CAA supports the safe development of drones in the UK. Drones can bring economic and workplace safety benefits but to achieve those we need everyone flying a drone now to do so safely.

Source: The Guardian November 27, 2017 14:32 UTC