"Drones" in the News Again

Gerard from Central Whangarei

I am getting tired of the vilification of "drones" in the media.
We see so many stories of how they are "going to take down an aircraft", of how it's so unsafe to fly because of the threat they pose etc.
They are blamed for shutting down airports and hampering firefighting efforts due to aircraft having to land.
I am not saying this does not happen, there are idiots out there that do stupid stuff, just that all of us who fly these things are tarred with the same brush.
There are calls for tighter regulation, registration and licencing, how is that going to stop those self same idiots.
It really helps on the road right?
There are no road deaths due to registration and licencing right?
I am sure we all wish that was true, unfortunately it's not.
There has to date been no deaths directly attributable to a civilian drone, none, zero, yet the tirade of media BS continues.
After every published story, they rehash several of the older ones, even some that have been proven false.
Isn't it time the media shared some focus on the 65 plus lives that were saved with this technology just in the last year. (According to research by DJI, the largest drone manufacturer in the world).
And how about the fact that they are getting young people out from behind their screens and out in to the fresh air.
These "toys" are a fun and healthy hobby to some, and a means to earn a living for others.
For those that fear for the loss of privacy, there are very few photo's and videos taken with these machines that could not be taken far more surreptitiously with a cellphone on a long selfie stick or a good DSLR with a long lens. Let's face it drones are noisy and have to get reasonably close to get decent images or video.
Sure there are the bad eggs that use this tech maliciously, no different to those who would do the same with a cellphone, DSLR or any other form of image or video capture.
But there is also so much good that can come from it. They are used for search and rescue, finding people in the surf, delivering medical supplies and even organs for transplant. There are units equipped with defibrillators that can get through traffic jams far easier than motorcycles.
Ok sorry this turned in to a bit of a rant but I just had to vent it somewhere.
This can be a polarizing subject, I look forward to some healthy discussion. :)