Some drone users say new rules announced Thursday by the federal Minister of Transport Marc Garneau are not keeping up with advancements in unmanned aerial vehicle technology.

Jon Corbin, owner of Corbin Visual, who uses drones both commercially and recreationally, said the new rules “discount the intelligence of the technology,” citing some of the features available including collision avoidance for obstacles, weather warnings and return to home systems.

In accordance with the new rules announced Thursday recreational drone operators now cannot fly at night, higher than 90 metres, within 9 kilometres of a forest fire, within 75 metres of buildings, vehicles or people and within nine kilometres of the centre of any airport, helicopter, aerodrome or water aerodrome where aircrafts take off and land.

Drones must also be marked with operators contact information. The new regulations apply to anyone operating an unmanned aerial vehicle weighing more than 250 grams and up to 35 kilograms.

“I am taking measures now, before a drone hits an airplane and causes a catastrophic accident. That’s the kind of nightmare scenario that keeps me up at night,” Garneau said during a press conference at Toronto’s Billy Bishop airport.

But Corbin said the legal fly zones are now too limited as he couldn’t “name one place in the greater Toronto area or even north of the city that’s not 75 metres from a building.”

“Don’t sell the drones at the stores if we can’t even use them,” he said.

The rules, he added, are “heightening the public’s anxiety around the bad that (drones) can do.”

“They’re not giving enough credit to the goodwill the drone community should have been building up for the past five years by being completely responsible,” Corbin said.

Those who break any of the rules could be fined up to $3,000. The new regulations are a temporary measure that will be in place for up to one year after which permanent rules will be put in place.

Drones being used for commercial, academic, or research purposes will not be affected by these new rules.

Since 2015, Transport Canada has seen an increase of 73 per cent in the number of special flight operations certificates that it has issued.

There has also been an increase in the number of safety incidents reported to Transport Canada and law enforcement agencies. In 2016, 148 incidents were reported. This is an increase from 85 reported incidents in 2015 and 41 in 2014.

“This represents an increase of more than 200 per cent in 2 years,” Garneau said.

When questioned on the limitations the new regulations impose, Garneau said he is “sending a very strong message.”

“When it comes to safety I don’t think that anything is overkill. I have read almost on a daily basis reports from pilots coming into airports on the flight path and reporting seeing a drone off the wing,” he said.

“We’ve had too many incidents of drones landing near people and landing on cars. They pose a hazard and if they are over 250 grams they can cause serious damage including killing people.”

But Garneau said the government “certainly doesn’t want to restrict drones so much that we hinder innovation.” He highlighted the benefits of using drones including monitoring wildlife, increasing efficiency in farm operations and providing first responders with an overall view of forest fires.

“But like any new technology, drones must be used with care and we cannot wait for something bad to happen before we react,” Garneau said.

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Chief Superintendent Eric Stubbs from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said all first responders will “benefit greatly” from these new regulations and the Air Canada Pilots Association commended the rules in a press release.

Captain Matt Hogan of the Air Canada Pilots Association called the new regulations “common sense.”

“As pilots, we are very concerned about drones being unwittingly or intentionally flown in restricted airspace during critical phases of flight,” Hogan said. “At best, drones represent an unwelcome distraction to pilots that must be monitored; at worst, even the smallest drone could cause significant damage to an aircraft or engine.”