WASHINGTON - Maine U.S. Sen. Susan Collins today chaired a hearing on the expansion of drone use.
Members of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee heard testimony about near collisions with aircraft and the likelihood that injuries from improper use of drones will increase as more amateurs use the vehicles.
"It is evident that we need to strike a balance in the regulation of unmanned aircraft systems that recognizes their legitimate uses," Collins said.
Collins said the vehicles are often equipped with cameras, and that raises significant privacy questions. She said Congress needs to make sure regulations balance public safety with privacy rights.
Collins said drones have already proven to be an important tool for first responders, as well as the news and film industries. "We cannot allow the excitement of these potential benefits to distract us from the critical work that still must be done to insure safety in the air as well as on the ground," she said. "That has to be priority number one."
