Drones may soon be permitted to fly at night and over populated areas without a waiver, according to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.
“First, at long last, the Department is ready to issue for comment a proposed new rule that would allow drones to fly overnight and over people without waivers, if certain conditions are met,” Chao said in a speech Monday to the nonprofit Transportation Research Board in Washington, D.C.
“This will help communities reap the considerable economic benefits of this growing industry and help our country remain a global technology leader,” Chao said.
As companies, including Amazon among them, look to use drones to deliver packages, Chao said the Federal Aviation Administration aims to prevent drones from hindering other aircraft and to promote safety.
The proposed rule notes that of the 1,200 waivers issued to drone operators for flying drones at night, there were no reported drone accidents in 2017. The proposal would alleviate the need for waivers, but drone operators would need “an anti-collision light illuminated and visible for at least 3 statute miles.”
Similarly, drones weighing under 0.55 lbs would be able to fly over people, provided they meet certain requirements. Drones that are over that weight would be required to demonstrate that if the drone collided with a person that the damage would “be below a certain severity threshold.”
The proposed rule will be subject to an open comment period for 60 days.
