Are drone collision risks being exaggerated?

Using records from collisions with birds (those of a similar size to a domestic drone), the study revealed that only around three percent of collisions resulted in damage to the aircraft and a smaller number than that actually resulted in human injury – and many of these incidents were caused by flocks of birds rather than individuals.

The research stemmed from the announcement from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that owners of all drones weighing over 250g need to register their device with the FAA or risk facing a substantial fine.

Despite what the study’s authors describe as “sensational media headlines”, it’s in fact bird life that occupies much of our air space rather than drones. The report claims that there are far more birds in the air at any one time than any UAV, yet collisions between fowl and aircraft remain a rarity.

The analysis shows that of the 160,000 bird strikes recorded since 1990, 14,314 actually caused damage - and around 80% of that figure was down to collisions with species such as geese and turkey vultures (pictured) which are significantly bigger and heavier than domestic drones.

The authors of the study, Eli Dourado and Samuel Hammond, also highlighted that around 97% of the strikes from birds that were of a comparable weight and size to a drone did no damage at all. Indeed, they also stressed that the actual percentage could be even lower than that, as strikes that cause no damage can go completely unnoticed or may not be reported at all.

However, the report does concede that because drones and birds are made of different materials, a drone collision does have the potential to cause more damage than a bird and more research needs to be carried out into exactly what that damage may consist of.

Full evidence of the study can be viewed here: http://mercatus.org/publication/do-consumer-drones-endanger-national-airspace-evidence-wildlife-strike-data.