US Citizens Wary Over Possible Expansion of Commercial Drone Use: Poll

MOSCOW, December 19 (Sputnik) — Over 40 percent of US citizens polled expressed distrust over the commercial use of unmanned aerial vehicles, following a proposal by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to impose regulations allowing broader use of small drones for commercial purposes, the joint Associated Press-GfK poll revealed Friday.

As much as 43 percent of the respondents said they would not welcome the commercial use of drones, compared to 21 percent of drone supporters, and 35 percent who remained neutral, according to the poll.

Women and seniors generally responded negatively on drones' commercial use, citing poor reliability of drones and opportunities for using them for illegal or dangerous purposes.

"The average person should not be allowed to just go out and get one to do whatever they want to do with it. This is still a remote-control vehicle, and those things go amok," 66-year old poll respondent Roberta Williams told AP.

College graduates and wealthier people expressed optimism regarding the commercial use of drones, supporting it as a technological breakthrough.

"It's literally something you would see in a movie and now they're talking about it like it's a true possibility. I think it's inevitable it will happen. I think it's a great thing," 26-year old poll respondent, Elliot Farber, commented as quoted by AP.

The poll was conducted online December 4-8 among 1,010 adults with a margin of error for all results at 3.4 percent, up or down.

On December 10 the FAA granted several companies the right to use drones for aerial surveying, construction site monitoring and oil inspection. The same day, the US Congress questioned the FAA about the safety and benefits of drones' commercial use. By the end of the month the FAA is expected to present to the Congress draft regulations on manufacture, ownership and use of drones in commercial and private enterprise.