Flying without a license will be penalized: How much do you know about drone insurance with the implementation of the new regulations?
The Interim Regulations on the Flight Management of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (No. 761), jointly issued by the Military Commission of *** and ** on June 28, will officially come into force on January 1, 2024.
Article 12 of the Regulations clearly stipulates that civil unmanned aerial vehicles shall purchase liability insurance in accordance with the law when they are carrying out commercial flight activities, as well as small, medium-sized and large civil unmanned aerial vehicles carrying out non-commercial flight activities.
Article 48 stipulates that unmanned aerial vehicles that violate the above provisions and do not purchase liability insurance will be ordered to correct by the civil aviation administration department and fined between 2,000 yuan and 20,000 yuan; If the situation is serious, the relevant units will be ordered to stop flight activities and even have their operating qualifications revoked.
For reference, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is an aircraft that does not have an onboard pilot and has an autonomous power system. According to the performance indicators, unmanned aerial vehicles can be divided into several categories, such as micro, light, small, medium and large.
The standard stipulates that all owners or users who are legally engaged in light, small, medium, and large UAV flight activities should purchase corresponding UAV third-party liability insurance to protect the economic compensation for personal injury or property damage caused by the third party when operating the UAV, so as to further regulate the UAV industry.
UAV science popularization and training institutions and organizations that carry out light, small, medium, and large-scale UAV flight activities should also purchase corresponding third-party liability insurance to reduce the liability risk caused by accidents during training and reduce operational risks.
What does drone insurance mainly cover?
In flight activities, the safety risks of drones cannot be ignored. In the event of an accident, it may cause the drone to crash and repair losses, and may even cause smashing or injuring people or objects, causing personal and property losses to third parties.
1.Drone fuselage loss insurance: mainly for the drone fuselage, during operation and ground parking, any accidental damage to the fuselage and its accessories caused by non-exclusion reasons, as well as the risk of disappearance of the drone.
2.Drone third-party liability insurance: divided into two types: "with the aircraft" and "with the person". "Follow the aircraft" is to protect a single drone as the subject of insurance, no matter who operates it, the injury or financial loss caused to the third party will be compensated; "Follow people" is to take a specific operator as the subject of insurance to protect the risks that may arise to a third party when operating the drone.
Why buy drone insurance?
There are various reasons for the "bombing" of drones, such as the magnetic compass is disturbed and out of control, over-the-horizon flight, downdraft, etc.; Low power, human error, obstacle impact, etc. often lead to "blowing up". Whatever the case may be, the end result is a loss that requires an investment in repairing or replacing the equipment. Once you inadvertently hit someone or something, such as a luxury car, the pressure on compensation is even greater.
Despite the high level of drone piloting technology, it is difficult to avoid some unavoidable risks and accidents. Moreover, the loss caused by unexpected reasons during the flight of the drone is the problem that drone insurance can solve.
**This time, it is expressly stipulated that civil unmanned aerial vehicles must purchase liability insurance in accordance with the law, otherwise they will face fines. This shows that the era of "naked flight" of UAVs is about to pass, and higher risk prevention requirements are put forward for units or individuals who use UAVs for commercial activities, and it also marks that the UAV industry is gradually standardized.
The importance of mandatory insurance for drones.
01 Protect the public interest.
Mandatory liability insurance can ensure that the drone operator has the ability to compensate and protect the legitimate rights and interests of the victim.
02Reduce economic risks.
Drone accidents are often accompanied by huge liability. Mandatory liability insurance can help drone operators reduce potential financial risk, as the insurance company will be partially or fully liable.
03Comply with legal requirements.
In many countries and regions, drone operators are required by law to have and maintain liability insurance. Mandatory liability insurance is to comply with the requirements of the law to ensure that drone operators carry out their activities legally and compliantly.
04Increase business opportunities.
In some industries, drone use is part of commercial activities such as aerial photography, drone delivery, etc. Compulsory liability insurance can enable enterprises or individuals to obtain business opportunities, because many customers require partners to have corresponding insurance to reduce the risk of cooperation.
The significance of mandatory liability insurance for drones is to protect the public interest, reduce economic risks, comply with legal requirements and increase business opportunities. This mandatory requirement ensures that the drone operator has the responsibility and ability to bear the loss and damage that may arise from the act of its operation. It is very important to purchase drone insurance, which can provide the necessary protection for the operator, and at the same time protect the interests of third parties.