609-566-9686Drunk droning is one of the many initiatives signed by Chris Christie into law on his last full day of office. It is now illegal to drunk drone in New Jersey. While this might not seem like a big deal, there aren’t many laws in regards to drones and this will open that door. That can be both good and bad. This is something that some people have thought was trivial, but it was passed as a law. Many are wondering why so here a few points of view. You can also read more about it here.
Drunk droning: Safety
The main concern is safety, where the drunk droning bill is concerned. There is a slower response time to certain actions after a few drinks. And this can make it hard for someone to assess danger. That means that if the drone acts up or is in the way of something, it can take much longer for the operator to respond. It is also likely that scenarios like these would be avoided altogether without alcohol as a factor. There is also the factor of those around you using drones. They are possibly a danger to you and those you love. The law will offer a way for prosecution of those who do not take safety into consideration when operating these machines.
Drunk droning: Danger to Others
Drunk droning is a matter of safety for anyone around you. If you are flying a drone under the influence, you may not be paying attention, and something can happen. Because these machines have so many propellers and fly so high, that can mean a lot of things. The drone can crash from a malfunction, the blades could become damaged or stop working, or you might fly it closer than you think to someone or something. These are all scenarios that can end in something as severe as taking someone’s life. Then you will have charges of manslaughter to face instead of drunk droning. They can cause danger to airplanes, firefighters and have even been restricted near prisons in the bill. It is a matter that runs much deeper than most realize.
Drunk droning: Danger to Yourself
Even if you decide that you will not operate your drone in public, there is still a matter of safety. You are taking a risk when you operate anything with blades. Adding in the factor of alcohol just impairs you and means that there is a chance that you could end up hurt. Think of the damage that could be done by something as simple as inspecting propeller damage. Slow your response time and the danger increases. Add in the factor that you don’t realize your actions are slower and that raises the factor a bit. Even troubleshooting your drone can be something that can turn very dangerous very quickly.
Drunk droning: Those Around Us
We are often annoyed by other people’s driving or just their behavior and words. And many are often annoyed by drones being in parks while they are spending time with their kids. When someone has been drinking and is operating a drone, it becomes something much worse. The last thing that you want is for you or someone that you love to receive injuries because of someone else and their blatant disregard for legality. It can be hard to tell if someone is drunk or not, so you should pay attention to the drone. If it comes close to where you are, move. You don’t want to take chances. If you get a bad feeling about one near you, trust it. Leave if you have to. They might seem harmless, but there is an agent of danger there.
If you are facing charges for drunk droning, you want to make sure that you have a good attorney. This is still a very new law and finding someone to represent you can be hard. They need to understand many different facets of the law and be able to build a defense for you that will stand up in court. That means that they have to be up to date to understand the new law and its limitations. This also means that they will have to have fresh ideas and tactics to navigate the prosecution’s case against you.
You don’t want to take the chance of being the first conviction for this charge that makes the headlines. Charges like these can cause a lot of trouble for you if they become public knowledge. In some cases, people lose their jobs over similar charges. And that isn’t a chance you want to take. If you find yourself facing these charges or have more questions about them, you should find an attorney who will understand the law you are referring to. You can start your search here.
