March 4, 2019
With both recreational and commercial drones growing in popularity, the Federal Aviation Administration has established rules for these drones, which fall under the category of Small Unmanned Aircraft. The list of activities that drones are useful for has grown over the years and they are now considered much more than just a toy.
Because of this fact, there are not only rules in place for operating drones but insurance policies that are available to help cover costs when an accident involving a drone occurs. Let’s take a look at the difference in the two main uses of drones to better understand why these rules and coverages are in place:
Residential / Recreational Drones
If you’re flying your drone for fun in the confines of your own backyard, the rules and requirements are much less strict. Both children and adults get enjoyment from remote controlling their drones to fly around the interior and exterior of their homes, and have a decent amount of freedom when it comes to the drone’s use. The main reasons that having insurance coverage for flying a drone recreationally are:
- In case of damage to the drone itself
- In case of the drone causing damage to a neighbor’s property or personal items
- In case of injury caused by the drone
As a recreational or residential user of your drone, you are not obligated to purchase insurance for you drone. However, if you find yourself in any of the three above situations, you’ll benefit from liability coverage and the assistance with costs incurred by the injury or damage.
Commercial Drones
Drones have exploded in popularity all across commercial markets and have proven to be a helpful tool to many different types of businesses.
Real Estate – Drones offer the opportunity to create gorgeously smooth video tours of properties for sale. They make it much easier to capture specific areas of homes and commercial spaces that might not be as easy to photograph yourself and can provide aerial views from high in the air.
Inspections – There are hundreds of different types of inspectors whose job it is to visually survey anything from farmland to wind turbines. Drones have the ability to reach great heights and can capture footage or take photographs of large geographical areas from every angle, making it much easier for inspectors to do their job.
Security – Drones can be used as security tools as well, allowing video surveillance of areas like parking lots and locations that only allow authorized personnel to enter. Additionally, they have begun to be utilized in the tracking of criminals.
Because drones used for commercial purposes are used in larger areas and are exposed to more human interaction, it’s even more important that they have insurance coverage in case a person or property is damaged while the drone is being used.
American Heritage is an insurance agent in Carroll County specializing in both residential and commercial drone insurance. Contact us today for more information!
