The Obama administration is reportedly preparing legislation that will require buyers of drones to register the unmanned aircraft with the government in order to combat a growing safety threat, sources familiar with the proposal said.
The U.S. Transportation Department is expected to announce in the course of this that a task force of government and industry officials will draft a plan to create a registry, which would
encourage drone owners to follow rules intended to prevent drones from crashing into planes or hurting people on the ground.
In the event of an accident, a registry may help the government track down the operator.
Endangered air traffic
According to an earlier report from the Federal Aviation Administration, pilot encounters with drones are expected to at least quadruple to more than 1,000 this year. The report highlighted a
growing threat to U.S. aviation by unmanned aircraft.
At the moment, drone operators must obtain FAA permission before flying within five miles of an airport and must stay away from piloted aircraft.
Industry groups estimate that as many as 500,000 drones have been sold in the U.S., many of which are capable of flying thousands of feet above the ground.
Nol van Fenema
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