5 Ways to curb threats posed by drones
There have been some reports over the past few years on the disruption of activities in airports due to flying drones in airports and runways. There are strict rules in place regarding no-fly zones, and arrests have been made by the relevant authorities of drone operators who broke the law by flying in these sensitive zones.
On December 20th, 2018 Gatwick airport was closed down for up to 36 hours when two drones were sighted in their runaway prompting the interruption of activities in the usually busy airport, this unfortunate suspension of flights affected thousands of passengers who were due to depart from the airport to different destinations. However, SEO Warrington reports that the scare at Gatwick wasn’t the first incident of drones causing an interruption in airports as similar incidents have been seen in other airports such as China and Dubai. This kind of behaviour by irresponsible drone operators calls for drone security and regulation measures such as;
No Fly Zones
This action involves the exclusion of specific areas which are sensitive either as far as national security is concerned or the safety of human lives to flying of drones. The clearing of these skies will streamline operations and reduce risk which is accompanied by the free flying of drones in these areas.
Area of Sight
Drones operators should be prohibited from flying outside their area of sight. SEO Warrington confirms that most drones come attached with a camera which can allow for operating outside the user’s line of sight, however, with significantly reduced efficiency unless they have pre-programmed routes via which they travel. The risk of accidents due to this reduced efficacy should compel the legislators to formulate laws which prevent the possibility of accidents occurring preventing injuries and damage of property.
Geo-Fencing
There should be the inclusion of geo-fencing technology in the drone’s inbuilt system. A geo-fence refers to a virtual borderline around an area within which the GPS positioning of the drone will prompt action once the drone enters this area. According to SEO Warrington, some drones will even refuse to deploy if they are within designated no flying zones. This technology will be useful in clearing these skies and preventing the occurrence of incidents such as the ones which we have seen in the airports.
Drone Curfew
There should also be policies in place which forbid the flying of drones at night for issues to do with visibility and during certain weather conditions which reduce the effectiveness of the operator’s control. SEO Warrington believes that operation of the drones at night increases the possibility of drones crashing into each other or stationary objects in their way posing the risk of falling on people afterwards which can lead to serious injury. Adverse weather conditions such as rain and strong wind can also have the same result and therefore should avoid flying under these conditions.
Limited Altitude
There should also be a specified distance from the ground above which drones should not be allowed to fly unless otherwise approved. After a lot of consultations, SEO Warrington found out that this will reduce collision of drones with aeroplanes which may have very catastrophic consequences.