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Driving License

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dixon

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4
When renewing my driving license here in Northern Ireland after a litany of medical questions - I was issued with a 3 year license only to be reassessed again in 3 years at the same price as a 10 year one I might add.
I am a 'healthy' type 1 diabetic - so why do I feel discriminated against????

Is this a Northern Ireland thing ??

Interested to here your views?
 
I am in the UK and I am sure it's the same here. One of my work buddies is 'type 1' and just before I was diagnosed with 'type 2' we spoke about driving licences. He told me that he has to renew his licence every 3 years also. ? Not too sure of the questions he was asked. Hope this helps.
 
In England, I have to have a 3 year medical assessment and renewal, but there is no charge. You may well be healthy, but if you take insulin, you are susceptible to hypos. Whether we like it or not, diabetes related scenarios (hypos being the first to spring to mind) put us at risk of losing control of the vehicle, and for that reason, I feel safer that I, but more importantly every other T1 diabetic, is assessed. Sadly, the New years crash where the bin lorry driver in Scotland had not declared his (non diabetes related) medical conditions meant he slipped through the net. I think it is only fair that we accept the DVLA must do all it can to prevent this wherever possible.
 
Just repeating what others have said.........

There is no charge for us here in the UK...

How long have you been diabetic? I am guessing not long due to you being some what surprised by the three year renewal. And so, it might be the case that a charge has came this time round as you haven't had to do it before and your picture is out of date....

Did you updater the picture...?
 

As I understand it, alcoholics - who are potentially at a greater risk of drink driving - don't have to have a restricted license with their medical support signing off that their addiction is under control regularly. Neither do many people with conditions that could affect their ability to drive.

But diabetics do have to.

And the law is clear: if you are not fit to drive, it is against the law to get behind the wheel. Irrespective of whether you have a medical condition or not, if - at that point - you are not well rested, not got good blood sugar levels, over the alcohol limit, been taking any medication that cause drowsiness, etc - then you must not get behind the wheel of a vehicle.

Out of everything I had when I was diagnosed, surrendering my driving license was the biggest thing for me. I don't drive when I am unwell or had a drink or am sure I am fit to drive. Being diabetic didn't change that; it's an implicit and explicit responsibility that comes with my license. But suddenly I was no longer trusted that I was able to make that decision without a doctor and the DVLA deciding I could keep track of my blood sugars.

I follow the guidance: test no more than 30 minutes before getting in the car, check every two hours. Don't drive if hypo and within 45 minutes of being hypo. Take carbs if under 5 mmol/l. Why would anyone not follow that to stay safe on the road?

But the DVLA still consider night-time hypoglycemic episodes which they don't with other conditions.

I felt the rules were unnecessarily harsh to penalise diabetics. After all, if I drive and I have an accident and it was found that I knowingly got behind the wheel of a car without being fit to drive, I would rightly be prosecuted. Diabetes or no diabetes.
 


hello,

im type one in the UK, have to renew every three years, free of charge, I don't remember there being any lengthy questions, i had to provide gp details and all that jazz, but i don't remember my last renewal being to difficult ! Im due again early next year so i shall let you know :O

x
 
been renewing my licence every 3 years since 1990 as a type 1 - living in wales -- never any charge
 
My UK licence expired of old age when I turned 70, it was a pinky coloured paper licence I got in the 1980's.

I had renewed my licence since I left the UK in 1970. I used to end it back to my sister and she sent it back to where ever they got sent back to. She never said if it cost anything although I did ask how much on occassion.

Edit: That last licence never needed renewing, as I said it expired on my 70th birthday. I supposed it would have needed a test of some some description to continue to drive.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Think you will find that nightime hypo's are now no longer considered under DVLA rules They relaxed this earlier this year.
EDIT: this change is due in 2018 apparently.
 
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Oldvatr said:
Think you will find that nightime hypo's are now no longer considered under DVLA rules They relaxed this earlier this year.
Click to expand...
They announced that from January 2018 it will no longer apply.

Until then (unless they've changed their minds), they will continue to punish night-time hypos.
 
I assume this applies to full driving licences? I had to pay the usual £30 to renew my provisional which lasts 3 years so I guess the full one would be no different except you need to have lessons and pass the theory test. Would be good to be able to drive but also increase job prospects to places public transport can't go.
 
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