New Poll Shows Majority of Americans Support UAS for Search and Rescue and Border Patrol

Arlington, VA - A poll conducted by Monmouth University shows that a majority of Americans support the use of unmanned aircraft systems for search and rescue and border patrol. The poll found that 83 percent of Americans support UAS use for search and rescue and 62 percent support the use of the technology for patrolling our nation’s border. Michael Toscano, president & CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), released the following statement:

“This poll shows Americans’ overwhelming support for UAS for a variety of applications. UAS have the potential to help in search and rescue missions by covering more ground and keep police officers safe by providing an eye in the sky in dangerous situations. They do all of this at a fraction of the cost of manned aircraft, helping to save time, save money and, most importantly, save lives. We as an industry are committed to the safe and responsible integration of UAS into the national airspace, and it is exciting to see public support behind the uses of this technology.”

The Monmouth poll comes on the heels of an Institute for Homeland Security Solutions and RTI International poll released earlier this year that also showed that a majority of Americans support UAS use in search and rescue, fighting crime and commercial applications. The poll found that 57 percent of the general public supports UAS for any application, 88 percent support UAS for search and 63 percent support their use in fighting crime.

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) — the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of unmanned systems — represents more than 7,000 members from 55 allied countries and 2,500 organizations involved in the fields of government, industry and academia.