The following statement is attributed to Douglas Johnson, vice president of technology policy, Consumer Technology Association (CTA)^TM, regarding today’s announcement from Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau on new measures restricting recreational drone use:

“As the Canadian recreational drone sector continues to evolve and innovate, we appreciate the emphasis Minister Garneau is placing on public safety – and we certainly agree with the importance of this issue. However, any new federal rules in Canada should include the appropriate balance between public safety and support for innovation.

“Already, drones are changing our lives for the better – ensuring more efficient crop production, stronger protection and maintenance of energy infrastructure, and the delivery of supplies and medicine to remote areas. And in just the last five months, civilian drones have helped save the lives of five people in Canada. But rules that establish unnecessary barriers to drone technology will, in fact, limit the public safety benefits drones offer us.

“Aviation authorities have not recorded a single confirmed collision between a civilian drone and a traditional aircraft anywhere in the world. To that point, the Canadian Transportation Safety Board confirmed the near collision that occurred near Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport last year was not caused by a drone.

“As we await a more comprehensive set of drone rules in the months to come, we hope the federal government will include industry in its discussions to create flexible and easy-to-follow rules for Canadian consumers – ensuring safety and innovation will both flourish, as this growing sector delivers new efficiencies and creates new jobs.”

Douglas Johnson is currently a member of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s Drone Advisory Committee Subcommittee and has served on the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Registration Task Force and Micro UAS Aviation Rulemaking Committee.

CTA expects total drone sales in the U.S. to reach new heights in 2017, topping 3.4 million units (a 40 percent year-over-year increase) and $1 billion in revenue for the first time (a 46 percent increase). Drones below 250 grams are expected to sell two million units, and drones above 250 grams will sell 1.3 million units.