Federal officials plan to ease restrictions on flying drones over crowds and at night.

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao says that her agency will propose letting some drone operators do those things without a special waiver from current rules.

For example, waivers for night flights wouldn't be needed for operators who go through special training and put anti-collision lighting on their drones.

The Transportation Department released the preliminary rules on Monday.

Chao says she knows that some people fear that drones create safety and privacy issues. But she says the Transportation Department's actions will help develop the safe testing and use of drones.