The Danger That Could Be Right Above Your Head

When you think of something flying right above your head, most people instantly think of birds. But, there is a new threat in the sky that is even worse than getting hit by fly-by bird waste, imagine getting hit by the propeller of a high speed drone.

Not too long ago, drones were considered something that Marty McFly might come across in Back to the Future. But believe it or not that time is now, and drones are here to stay. Consumer and commercial use drones are getting more and more popular every day. The Federal Aviation Administration said that it expects 2.5 million drones to be in use in the U.S. by the end of 2016, and it expects that number to triple to more than 7 million by 2020. The FAA reports that consumer use constitutes about 76% of that 2.5 million and commercial use is at about 24%. What else had increased with the popularity of drones? Drone injuries. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, the FAA reported a close call with a drone nearly every week in 2014, and that number has only risen.

With this increase in drone usage, especially in the consumer sector, it is important to understand the dangers surrounded by drone use. Researchers at Aalborg University in Denmark have conducted initial tests to see the effects of a drone’s propellers hitting humans. They used a catapult-like device to send drones at up to 33 mph into pork slabs (which act as a similar substitute for human flesh). The researchers call their first results “interesting” but cannot make any conclusions until further tests are conducted. You can see a video of the study here.

This study is just the start of discovering the possible damaging effects drones can have. Drones hitting people is just one way drone injuries can occur. Drones have been reported to hit planes, wildlife and more. While drone technology is moving us forward, we have to make sure that the same technology doesn’t set anyone back.