Toddler's face injury highlights dangers of domestic drones

It was supposed to be a day of fun at the park, but it sadly wasn’t the case for a one-year-old baby boy after he was struck by a drone. The incident left a large gash across his face, emphasising the dangers of domestic drones we need to know about. 

The baby boy ended up needing nine stitches. After the wound heals, he is expected to be left with a lifelong scar stretching from his left eyebrow to the right side of his nose. The worried mum took to Chinese social media to recount her ordeal. She wrote that they had to bring the child to three different hospitals. 

This sad incident highlights why we should take the dangers of domestic drones seirously. | Images: Weibo

Reports say the person operating the drone was a teenager with blonde hair, who quickly fled the park in Beijing after realising what he had done.

As of this writing, investigation is still ongoing. Beijing has serious rules against the operation of drones. Practically the entire city is a “no fly zone,” and unmanned aircraft systems need police clearance to operate.

Don’t overlook the dangers of domestic drones because they can cause lifelong consequences.| Image: Shutterstock

Over the years, drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), have been rising in popularity. Though originally intended for government use, more and more civilians are using them, mostly to take photos and videos.

Drones can fly over anything, even over bodies of water. Because of this, the dangers of domestic drones are all around us. They’re not all bad, though.

Some of the benefits of drones include emergency response services, documenting hurricanes, forecasting natural disasters, inspecting infrastructure, managing agriculture, helping law enforcement, performing inventory management, etc. 

But this isn’t the first drone injury that has made headlines. In 2015, a 16-month-old boy in the United Kingdom lost his right eye after he was struck by a drone propeller.

The Civil Authority of Singapore encourages safe and responsible drone operation.

DOs:

• Know the drone and how to operate it safely.
• Always supervise children operating drones.
• Check if the drone is safe to fly before operating it.
• Fly your drone on clear days only, where there is good visibility and favourable weather conditions.
• Keep the drone within your line of sight AT ALL TIMES.
• Make sure your remote control/transmitting device adheres to the regulations of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore. 

DON’Ts:

• Do not fly your drone over a crowd of people.
• Make sure your drone isn’t heavier than 7 kilograms.
• Drones should not carry objects unless designed to do so.
• Refrain from loading harmful substances onto your drone.
• Never discharge an object or substance from your drone.
• Don’t fly an unmanned aircraft in an area where it can obstruct or distract vehicles or emergency services.
• Never fly it near or over security-sensitive or prohibited areas. 
• Do not fly a drone/unmanned aircraft within five kilometres of airports or military airbases. Don’t go higher than 200 feet. 

If you’re thinking of purchasing a drone for documenting your precious family moments and milestones, just remember to always put the safety of your family (and those around you) first at all times!

Sources: Shanghailist, South China Morning Post, Futurism, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore

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