Don’t Rush to Regulate Drones

Drones could be the new “it” gift for the 2015 holiday shopping season, with sales expected to top 1 million this year. Alarmed by the potential flood of drones, the Federal Aviation Administration has begun hastily throwing together a national drone registration plan for both hobbyist and commercial operators, writes Alan McQuinn in Washington Monthly. But policymakers should be careful to not create a jumble of duplicative, rushed, or ill-conceived policy responses that slow the adoption of drone technology. Rushing to enact restrictions on drones could unnecessarily curb adoption and inadvertently hinder legitimate uses of the technology to the detriment of science, the economy, and society.