Christmas drone sales spark farm safety and privacy concerns
© Design Pics Inc/REX Shutterstock A boom in sales of drones this Christmas has sparked safety concerns from farmers, and calls for tighter privacy rules.
With consumer spending on unmanned aerial vehicles – many of which now carry high-resolution cameras – expected to hit an all-time high, the Country Land & Business Association (CLA) said privacy rules associated with drone use should be updated.
See also: 9 tips for safely flying a drone on your farm
“We have had a number of members who have reported people trespassing to retrieve their drone,” said CLA legal adviser Andrew Gillett.
Drones: What the law says
- A drone must be kept within line of sight of the “pilot” at all times – usually 500m horizontally and 400ft vertically.
- Drones with surveillance equipment are within the rules of the Air Navigation Order 2009 if they are at least 50m from any person, vehicle or structure.
- Drones are defined as “aircraft” which means they fall within the exemption from liability for trespass and nuisance as prescribed by Section 76 Civil Aviation Act 1982.
- If a drone crash lands in a field, operators will need the landowner’s permission to retrieve their drone as the normal rules in relation to trespass apply.
- If you feel that a drone is being flown dangerously the Civil Aviation Authority recommends that the matter is reported to the police on 101.
- With sufficient evidence, you can report a breach of aviation law to the Civil Aviation Authority.
- The Information Commissioner has some guidance on flying drones and the relevance of the Data Protection Act.
“Another member has reported saboteurs using drones to monitor activities over his land,” he added.
Safety, too, is an issue. Near-misses, including a crash-landing on the roof of a cow kennel. “Had it landed in a yard with cattle, the panic it would have created could very easily have led to injury,” said Mr Gillett.
Drone sales rose by 24% ahead of the festive shopping rush last year, with electronics dealer Maplin Direct reporting domestic drone sales of more than 10,000 units over a 12-month period.
This year, drone sales are expected to be even higher.
“There is significant potential for this technology to benefit a wide variety of industries, not least in agriculture, saving time and increasing yields,” admits Mr Gillett.
“It is important that as this area develops it is not curtailed by regulation.
“There are however a few concerns relating to non-commercial use that have the potential to impact on individuals,” he added.
The European Aviation Safety Agency opened a consultation in July 2015 on the introduction of a regulatory framework for the operation of drones.
The CLA responded to the consultation through its sister organisation, the European Landowners’ Organisation (ELO), arguing for further controls on privacy and data protection.
It also called for future regulation to outline the sort of privacy individuals could expect in relation to both residential properties and privately owned land.
