grh.
I appreciate where you are coming from in wanting no obstacle to your Driving qualifications, and career progression however.......I am of the opinion that there is a world of difference between driving a normal Police response type vehicle at 70 mph in built up areas which is what any ordinary motorist can and does do ! Illegally at times of course........
An Advanced Driver can be called on to drive at up to twice those speeds in all areas and all weather and varying traffic conditions. At those sort of speeds I would want to be 100% certain that the person at the wheel is not someone who MAY suffer either Hypo or Hyper levels at any time. The driver has a massive responsibility to not be a possible danger to him/herself and other road users including pedestrians.
Stress, such as you would have in pursuit or emergency response situations because of the intense concentration and heightened adrenalin involved can and does have a massive effect on Bg levels possibly causing them to soar.......resulting in Hyperglycaemia, the symptoms of which can manifest themselves in some of these things : confusion, sleepyness, blurred vision........to name but 3.
Hypo’s are mainly caused by the following : not enough food, missed meals, delayed meals, too much Insulin, stress, unusual amounts of exercise etc.......all things that are part and parcel of the everyday working life of a frontline Police Officer......even more so in high speed situations. The symptoms also include : faintness, anxiety, blurred vision, irritability, confusion, lack of concentration, personality change.
Just a few things to consider......the life of a Police Officer is extremely stressful and Bg levels WILL cause all sorts of different effects to even the tightest controlled Diabetic.
Doesn’t matter how well controlled you may be normally......a Police Driver is placed in abnormal situations on a daily basis. That is not something I think the General Public should be put at risk from however much the driver thinks he is competent and ‘well controlled.’ In my view there is a far greater risk there to the driver and any passengers, other drivers and Pedestrians. An unacceptable risk.
I have seen the Diabetic Police Officer’s website and read much of it. I am sure there are things that many Diabetic Police Officer’s can do and do very well. I just don’t think Advanced Driving tasks are one of them.
The DVLA guidance you mentioned at Xmas 2010 stated this :
The Secretary of State’s Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on Diabetes and Driving has recommended that drivers with insulin-treated diabetes should not drive emergency vehicles. This takes account of the difficulties for an individual, regardless of whether they may appear to have exemplary glycaemic control, in adhering to the monitoring processes required when responding to an emergency situation.
Now, it is significant that after I had correspondence with the DVLA Chief Medical Adviser a 'caveat' was added to those guidelines which basically states that it is the responsibility of various organisation as to how they interpret those guidelines. Leaving the onus on various Police Forces and other organisations to decide what their Policy would be in relation to ERV's.
I disagree that it is outdated as it was in fact updated in January 2011 shortly after my correspondence with them. It was updated to clarify things but really it only ‘muddys’ the water in my view.
That is my personal view for what it’s worth, calm, dispassionate but in essence just common sense.
I wish you well in your chosen career......a hard job, but very worthwhile. :|
I appreciate where you are coming from in wanting no obstacle to your Driving qualifications, and career progression however.......I am of the opinion that there is a world of difference between driving a normal Police response type vehicle at 70 mph in built up areas which is what any ordinary motorist can and does do ! Illegally at times of course........
An Advanced Driver can be called on to drive at up to twice those speeds in all areas and all weather and varying traffic conditions. At those sort of speeds I would want to be 100% certain that the person at the wheel is not someone who MAY suffer either Hypo or Hyper levels at any time. The driver has a massive responsibility to not be a possible danger to him/herself and other road users including pedestrians.
Stress, such as you would have in pursuit or emergency response situations because of the intense concentration and heightened adrenalin involved can and does have a massive effect on Bg levels possibly causing them to soar.......resulting in Hyperglycaemia, the symptoms of which can manifest themselves in some of these things : confusion, sleepyness, blurred vision........to name but 3.
Hypo’s are mainly caused by the following : not enough food, missed meals, delayed meals, too much Insulin, stress, unusual amounts of exercise etc.......all things that are part and parcel of the everyday working life of a frontline Police Officer......even more so in high speed situations. The symptoms also include : faintness, anxiety, blurred vision, irritability, confusion, lack of concentration, personality change.
Just a few things to consider......the life of a Police Officer is extremely stressful and Bg levels WILL cause all sorts of different effects to even the tightest controlled Diabetic.
Doesn’t matter how well controlled you may be normally......a Police Driver is placed in abnormal situations on a daily basis. That is not something I think the General Public should be put at risk from however much the driver thinks he is competent and ‘well controlled.’ In my view there is a far greater risk there to the driver and any passengers, other drivers and Pedestrians. An unacceptable risk.
I have seen the Diabetic Police Officer’s website and read much of it. I am sure there are things that many Diabetic Police Officer’s can do and do very well. I just don’t think Advanced Driving tasks are one of them.
The DVLA guidance you mentioned at Xmas 2010 stated this :
The Secretary of State’s Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on Diabetes and Driving has recommended that drivers with insulin-treated diabetes should not drive emergency vehicles. This takes account of the difficulties for an individual, regardless of whether they may appear to have exemplary glycaemic control, in adhering to the monitoring processes required when responding to an emergency situation.
Now, it is significant that after I had correspondence with the DVLA Chief Medical Adviser a 'caveat' was added to those guidelines which basically states that it is the responsibility of various organisation as to how they interpret those guidelines. Leaving the onus on various Police Forces and other organisations to decide what their Policy would be in relation to ERV's.
I disagree that it is outdated as it was in fact updated in January 2011 shortly after my correspondence with them. It was updated to clarify things but really it only ‘muddys’ the water in my view.
That is my personal view for what it’s worth, calm, dispassionate but in essence just common sense.
I wish you well in your chosen career......a hard job, but very worthwhile. :|
