Droning While Intoxicated, Droning While Drunk, Drunk Droning … call it what you will but in Japan, it’s actually a crime.
Lawmakers in Japan must have seen something on the horizon when they amended the country’s Civil Aeronautics Act to include various offenses related to drone technology.
One of them was drunk piloting, and it appears the new law has found a winner.
The incident occurred in Toyota City, Japan in June when a 56 year old man drank eight beers before noon. He then decided to clean his room where he happened upon a drone he had purchased a few years ago. He took it out of the box to see if it still worked. It did, and he decided to give it a whirl.
According to SoraNews24, “while in flight, the drone weighing about 540 grams collided with the window of a nearby residence. The neighbor called the police to report the crash and the ensuing investigation led them back to the suspect who admitted to the charges of drinking and droning.”
So, the next time you imbibe and decide to fly your drone, check your local laws first!