There is a reason why DVLA sets guidelines

Jaylee

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You will always get the odd "rotten apple".

I test prior to starting the motor for the same reason I "nil by mouth" (alcohol wise) if I have to drive.

Cause & effect..

I value that pink credit card with my face on, in my wallet! ;)

Cheers for sharing!

I'm sure there are also other "uncontrolled" "un managed" D types with current unrestricted driving licences on the road with dodgy eyesight...;)
 

Oldvatr

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I am occasionally shocked by the number of times I have entered discussions on this forum where somebody is trying to justify bending the rules or looking for approval to ignore the requirements on the grounds that it is a stupid restriction on their liberty and against their rights.

There was a heated argument put forward on a different forum when the DVLA recently changed the 2 hypos and out rule to allow us to discount hypo's when asleep. This was seen as being discriminating against diabetics, whereas it was actually in our favour. A friend of mine gets deep hypo's without warning, like the ignition switch turning off. The lights are on, but no one is at home. Eventually his GP reported hum as unfit to drive, and he got banned before he did serious damage. But he still thinks he was unfairly treated. Having had to scrape him up off the floor on several occasions, I do not agree with him.
 
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Jaylee

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I am occasionally shocked by the number of times I have entered discussions on this forum where somebody is trying to justify bending the rules or looking for approval to ignore the requirements on the grounds that it is a stupid restriction on their liberty and against their rights.

There was a heated argument put forward on a different forum when the DVLA recently changed the 2 hypos and out rule to allow us to discount hypo's when asleep. This was seen as being discriminating against diabetics, whereas it was actually in our favour. A friend of mine gets deep hypo's without warning, like the ignition switch turning off. The lights are on, but no one is at home. Eventually his GP reported hum as unfit to drive, and he got banned before he did serious damage. But he still thinks he was unfairly treated. Having had to scrape him up off the floor on several occasions, I do not agree with him.

I meet the requirements. So nothing to wine about.. I wake if I'm low & no one has ever had to scrape me off the floor.
I fill out a form every three years & my doc based on this fact gives me the thumbs up for another 3 on the road..

It's as easy as starting another thread that could start a row..

But I know that's not your intention... ;)
 

Bluetit1802

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If people had ever been in a car with the driver having a hypo, as I have, they would understand just how dangerous and frightening it is, not just for the passengers but pedestrians, other road users, and in this case, a lampost.
 
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Jaylee

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Do you feel that uncontrolled un managed RH's should come under these guidelines too...?

@nosher8355
 
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Shar67

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I rarely drive now, with some drugs and the diabetes it is not worth the effort sometimes. When I do drive I'm like test before, stop test, stop test, it takes forever to get anywhere
 

noblehead

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Thank goodness for the brave actions of that Police Officer, that could have been so much worse with multiple casualties

A friend of mine gets deep hypo's without warning, like the ignition switch turning off. The lights are on, but no one is at home. Eventually his GP reported hum as unfit to drive, and he got banned before he did serious damage. But he still thinks he was unfairly treated. Having had to scrape him up off the floor on several occasions, I do not agree with him.

Your friends gp did the right thing as did the DVLA, lost for words why your friend would think he was unfairly treated.
.
 

Brunneria

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Do you feel that uncontrolled un managed RH's should come under these guidelines too...?

@nosher8355

I think that anyone prone to unpredictable or unprevented hypos is irresponsible to drive.

There have been a few times when my hypo behaviour has been seriously lacking in judgement. And back in the day, I KNOW that i drove a few times while feeling 'weird' - which i regret deeply. Never had an accident, thank goodness. And at the time, I didn't know how to predict or prevent the hypos. Of course this was also long enough ago that i didn't know self testing was possible, and before i discovered that low carbing would make me feel soooo much better and prevent the hypos.

Even now, if I feel the slightest bit wonky, i test before getting behind the wheel, or ask Mr B to drive. I've been known to walk out to the car stuffing food in my face :)

We had an RH poster once who was indignant that their consultant had stopped them driving. I thought it perfectly reasonable that an unsafe driver be prevented from endangering themself and others.
 

jackois

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To be fair, the driver featured in the video had this to say in the newspaper article that I saw this video in.

'Speaking after the rescue, the Peugeot driver, who didn't want to be named, said: 'When I was told exactly what had happened I was very emotional.

'Had it not been for the actions of the officers bringing my car to a stop, I dread to think what the outcome may have been.'

The mum also said she had lived with the condition for 23 years and had never previously had an attack like it.'
 

Lamont D

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Do you feel that uncontrolled un managed RH's should come under these guidelines too...?

I believe that driving is dangerous enough without those who do not have a guarantee that they can do so safely without being a danger to everyone else.
 

dawnmc

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There was a child in the car too, glad they were both safe.
 

GrantGam

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It's a real shame that many driver's cannot comprehend what happens when a car crashes. If they were shown the sheer ugliness of the aftermath, they'd soon think twice about using the phone, drink driving, make up in the rear view mirror and NOT telling the DVLA of their ACTUAL hypo awareness situation.

It's the lives of others that are wasted and destroyed when someone acts so selfishly.
 
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noblehead

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The Jeremy Vine R2 lunch-time show were talking about people driving with medical conditions, it's available on iPlayer now for anyone who wants to listen.
 

catapillar

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Amazing actions from the police officer, very rightly being recognised for actual heroics.

There's nothing to suggest that the driver hadn't followed the DVLA guidelines though. Given the seriousness of the incident I would have thought there was probably at least a bit of check of the monitor to see if she had tested before driving. The guidelines are a perfectly reasonable sensible proportionate safety net, designed to protect everyone and should definitely be taken seriously and complied with (that's coming from someone who has surrendered her driving licence because I haven't any hypo awareness) unfortunately sometimes even when you follow all the guidelines, things can fall through the net and it is possible to drop super low super quick even if that's never happened before, there is a very low risk of that happening, but it is possible. It seems unfair to assume she must have been in the wrong & not following the guidelines appropriately - must have been absolutely terrifying for her to realise what had happened with her baby in the car.

I hope anyone who watches it does take away the importance of making sure guidelines are followed and you've got that safety net in place every time you drive.

http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/w...-m1-motorway/story-29755610-detail/story.html
 
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encore1332

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Im a mechanic, been to crashes ( not accidents as most of the time someone caused it by being idiots) and seen people cut out off vehicles dead and alive - think everyone with a licence should be forced to see a dead person being dragged out of a vehicle. I think the 2 hour finger prick is a sensible way to go( also think actual enforcement of the road laws would benefit everyone)
 
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