Lawmakers in NJ want to make sure that there won't be any drunken drone flying going on, so they've recently introduced new legislation that would make it illegal to operate a drone while drunk. This means that for those who do get caught flying around a drone while under the influence, they could spend several months in jail and face a fine.
Aside from this workshop, there are a variety of others in different regions that are also looking to help people become more familiar with drone technology.
This isn't the first workshop of its kind, there have been some drone workshops held before and hundreds of people have taken advantage of attending them. More police officers, firefighters, and other public safety officials have also been experimenting with using drones in their line of work. Whether it's helping clean the road after an accident, searching for missing people, helping to fight fires, there are many ways that drones can come in handy.
The drone market today has grown into a multi-billion dollar market and you can find drones to fly that cost several hundred, up to several thousand dollars. Though industry experts maintain that the growth of the small drone market might be negatively impacted by regulatory restrictions in the coming years.
The FAA has recently banned drones from flying over nuclear sites, for safety and security purposes. They've also recently recommended being able to identify and track drones that are in the air, though there is conflict about which sort of drones should fall under those rules. And the registration-free period is over, meaning that those who want to fly their drones now in the US will need to sort out some particulars firsts.
Pics:
Pixabay
Sources:
http://www.witn.com/content/news/North-Carolina-government-plans-drone-workshops-for-2018-467501303.html
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20180101/got-drone-not-so-fast-flying-it-around-northwest-florida
https://dronelife.com/2017/12/19/new-report-predicts-small-drones-market-exceed-10-billion-2020/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/12/20/faa-panel-recommends-tracking-drones-but-dispute-lingers-over-including-hobbyists/969448001/
http://news.siu.edu/2017/12/121217-drone-operator-workshop.php
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-drones/u-s-bars-drones-over-nuclear-sites-for-security-reasons-idUSKBN1EC2MQ
https://www.engadget.com/2017/12/12/trump-signs-bill-requiring-drone-registration/
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2017/12/06/new-jersey-bill-drunk-drone/
https://steemit.com/drones/@doitvoluntarily/faa-testing-drone-detection-system