The Fourth of July can bring fears of drunk drivers making roads unsafe or people lighting fireworks without a permit, which can cause wildfires. And it turns out that Fourth of July drone pilots pose an additional risk. At least that’s what Dedrone, a company that builds drone tracking and mitigation technology, says.
According to data provided to The Drone Girl by Dedrone, July 4th is the busiest day of the year for drone flights. That means that more drone pilots fly on July 4th than on any other day of the year, according to data from last year.
This day is also the most reckless drone pilot day. According to Dedrone data, more than a third of all drone flights on July 4th violate at least one FAA rule. For example, in 2023, there was a 3.7x increase in drones flying too high compared to the average day on any other day in 2023. Similarly, Dedrone data shows a 4.3x increase in drones entering restricted airspace compared to the average day on any other day in 2023.
“These alarming figures highlight the urgent need to address unauthorized drone operations to ensure public safety,” Dedrone said in a statement. “Unauthorized drone operations pose a significant risk, particularly during high-profile events and holidays when public spaces are crowded.”
But here’s another fact that may provide some relief: While there is certainly an increase in inappropriate drone behavior on Independence Day, the rate of reckless drone pilots is not necessarily higher on Independence Day.
Deadrone says that on July 4, 2023, 37% of drone flights resulted in some type of FAA violation, but that’s only slightly higher than the average. For the entire year of 2023, the average number of drone flights with an FAA violation was 36%.
Simply put, there are more pure violations, but that's just because there are more pilots flying overall. The rate of bad behavior isn't necessarily significantly higher.
Dedrone shared a cool infographic with The Drone Girl to display the data and provide some general guidance on the FAA rules.
What is Deadron?
Dedrone makes airspace security software and hardware. It is used at critical infrastructure sites, government facilities, and major events around the world, including the FIFA World Cup. The goal? To protect those places from drones that shouldn’t be there. Dedrone’s technology detects, identifies, and mitigates unauthorized drone threats.
Then in May 2024, Axon, a company known for making body cameras and tasers, announced that it was acquiring Dedrone. Dedrone’s business was also going well. In February 2024, the company reported a 300% increase in revenue compared to February 2023. At the time, Dedrone said it had secured 16 new government contractors worldwide in the previous year, including a deal with the U.S. Department of Defense. Dedrone’s software product, Dedrone City-Wide Drone Detection, made the list of The Time’s Best Inventions of 2023.
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