Think your drone, or that of your child, is just another toy? Well, you might only be partially correct. According to unmanned aircraft system (UAS) statutes any unmanned aircraft must be registered with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). Want to ensure plenty of fun, but fly safe and smart? Check out the Pre-flight checklist
This new home flight technology provides fun for both adult and child users. Whether honing those skills as an acrobatic pilot or brushing up on your Aerial photography, there are specific guidelines for flying an unmanned aircraft, as well as how, where and when they can be flown. Review specific rules & regs.
Certainly failure to follow rules & regulations of the FAA and local government could result in fines or jail time. How does any of this pertain to you as a home owner? There are potential risks that may impact your home owner’s policy, such as damage to a neighbors’ property, risk of personal injury or even disturbing the peace. For example; consider weekend or failed battery and the drone loses charge and falls from sky landing on your neighbor’s new car. Significant damage may occur. Worse yet, that same drone falling from the sky may plummet and land on bystanders on the ground, injuring those on the ground who are now a human target. Suppose a neighbor accuses the “pilot” of spying or acting as a “peeping Tom”, which may be construed an invasion of privacy. Cyber security is also an issue, as hackers can take control of a drone in an effort to steal it or cause chaos in your area.
Many of these types of incidents may be covered under your current home owner policy, or your umbrella insurance. Be sure to review your policy however, as some insurers are adding an “exclusionary endorsement,” sometimes called a rider, that removes or limits coverage otherwise provided by the policy. There are policies who do not exclude drone coverage, and Santo can help you shop for the right one.
If a drone is part of your household, call Santo Insurance for FREE coverage review to ensure sufficient personal injury or umbrella coverage to protect you should you have an unfortunate drone-related accident or claim against you.