An unmanned aerial vehicle or drone towed a Shari Lukens election sign over the Trans-Canada Highway near Tillicum on Wednesday afternoon.
Lukens is the Conservative candidate in Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke.
The drone, operated by a qualified pilot and within all rules, drew considerable attention, said Stephanie Rea, Lukens’ communications manager. No decision has been made on whether a drone will be used again, Rea said.
Saanich police spokesman Sgt. Steve Eassie cautioned against the practice. “To put it bluntly, flying the drone over a roadway where people are travelling at a high speed is not responsible. Standing on an overpass should be sufficient enough,” he said.
A drone could cause a distraction that leads to a collision, Eassie said.
“If it were over an open field, that would be a different story.”
Saying regulations were followed isn’t quite accurate, since drone-use rules haven’t been established yet, he said.
