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dvla

I've been following this in the media and being a typ1 diabetic I find it absurd. I understand there could be serious problems etc if you are diabetic and driving etc but really reading the articles has somewhat angered me. I only passed my driving test this year :(
 
There's nothing absurd about it, it's to protect you and the general public. It's not what the media are hyping it up to be at all. If you have more than 2 severe hypos in a year that require help from another person then you shouldn't be driving anyway. Driving is a privilege, not a right. Yes we have a disease we didn't ask for, but we are drug users and the use of that drug can have serious consequences for others if in control of a motor vehicle.
 
andy144 said:
Hello all,
I'm a T2 but my brother in law is T1 and has just learned that he stands a good chance of losing his driving licence due to the latest goverment ruling on hypos, his by the way always happen at night in bed. Couple of things, I beleive from what I've read that the laws are being relaxed for the likes of Hgv & bus drivers etc. so why are private car drivers being discriminated against and is anything being done about it. Does anyone know of a current online petition, there just seems to be a general air of complacency. I know if my licence was taken away i would be devastated as I'm sure many others would. Any light that can be shed on this will be gratefully received. Thanks.
Andy
Click to expand...
Well, I went for my 6 monthly checkup, my blood Sugars had been 4.9- 5.6 (at night) so my doctor decided that I could not drive, I can appeal, but the ban still happens. I got a letter from the DVLA asking for my license, and you have to give 8 weeks notice (minimum) before you can re-apply after getting the OK from your doctor. I have never had hypo symptoms at all, but because of a 4.9 reading I loose my license. What gets me is if I was prone to hypos, as a pedestrian I could collapse in a busy street crossing the road and cause an accident, or fall off a cycle or fall off the pillion on a motorbike. I have now lost my job because public transport does not go close to where I worked, a cab would cost too much. Not a mark on my license ever. Yes, I do understand why. Whose next? High blood pressure? The hard of hearing? Distracted by a cold?
 
leo said:
andy144 said:
Hello all,
I'm a T2 but my brother in law is T1 and has just learned that he stands a good chance of losing his driving licence due to the latest goverment ruling on hypos, his by the way always happen at night in bed. Couple of things, I beleive from what I've read that the laws are being relaxed for the likes of Hgv & bus drivers etc. so why are private car drivers being discriminated against and is anything being done about it. Does anyone know of a current online petition, there just seems to be a general air of complacency. I know if my licence was taken away i would be devastated as I'm sure many others would. Any light that can be shed on this will be gratefully received. Thanks.
Andy
Click to expand...
Well, I went for my 6 monthly checkup, my blood Sugars had been 4.9- 5.6 (at night) so my doctor decided that I could not drive, I can appeal, but the ban still happens. I got a letter from the DVLA asking for my license, and you have to give 8 weeks notice (minimum) before you can re-apply after getting the OK from your doctor. I have never had hypo symptoms at all, but because of a 4.9 reading I loose my license. What gets me is if I was prone to hypos, as a pedestrian I could collapse in a busy street crossing the road and cause an accident, or fall off a cycle or fall off the pillion on a motorbike. I have now lost my job because public transport does not go close to where I worked, a cab would cost too much. Not a mark on my license ever. Yes, I do understand why. Whose next? High blood pressure? The hard of hearing? Distracted by a cold?
Click to expand...

The blue text is why you have lost your driving licence. You have no hypo awareness as you state in this post viewtopic.php?t=25447
Good on your consultant for removing your licence
 
I agree totally wih carbsrok and the others in the thread highlighted. A lack of hypo awareness is a dangerous thing. Shame about losing your licence but it is for the best until you can prove you have full awareness again.
 
Re: dvla (thin end of the wedge)

At my pump clinic appointment last week with my diabetic consultant who is a professor, he told me the BMA want to take the licence off all type 1 diabetics, i think the current regulations are just the thin end of the wedge and eventually all type 1 will be stopped from driving, another 70,000 on job seekers that’s roughly 50% of type 1 diabetics (just a guess). There is a pump available that self monitors and adjusts itself, if they are going to take our licences in fear of hypos they should give us the right to one of these pumps.
 
I don't see how they could take the licence off all T1's. For 1 thing that would very quickly fall foul of anti-discrimination laws.

I've been watching this particular area with interest and while I know it is something that raises an aweful lot of heated debate I think that the media have certainly done their best at sensationalising things and generally stiring things up.

If anything the new legislation coming into effect should help things provided that the DVLA correctly interprets it, that seems to be the main area where the problems lie right now.

/A
 
Re: dvla (thin end of the wedge)

steb4242 said:
At my pump clinic appointment last week with my diabetic consultant who is a professor, he told me the BMA want to take the licence off all type 1 diabetics, i think the current regulations are just the thin end of the wedge and eventually all type 1 will be stopped from driving, another 70,000 on job seekers that’s roughly 50% of type 1 diabetics (just a guess). There is a pump available that self monitors and adjusts itself, if they are going to take our licences in fear of hypos they should give us the right to one of these pumps.
Click to expand...

Driving licences have nothing to do with the BMA. It's DVLA who make the rules not the BMA
 
I know this thread is mostly about Type 1s/insulin treated, but I have a question.

I have a friend, diagnosed Type 2 9 years ago, diet only at first, Metformin for about the last 18 months. No insulin.

She has hypos; full-blown, collapse in the street, paramedic treated hypos, I would think more than 2 a year. She has no hypo awareness at all, and never tests (doc says she doesn't need to :roll: .

How do the DVLA rules affect her? I know what I think, but getting her to talk is difficult - you've only been diagnosed 2 years, so what do you know, is her attitude.

I'd be interested in your comments.

Viv 8)
 
Hi Viv, if your friend has blackouts or fits then she is not allowed to drive, whether she is diabetic or not.
 
As I said my diabetic consultant who is a professor for research with diabetes told me it was the BMA who are advising the DVLA to take the driving licence off all type 1 diabetics and reading some of the posts on here they have informed all medical staff i.e. gp's to look for any reason no matter how small or insignificant to notify the DVLA and stop them from driving. I have been a diabetic for 45 years driving for 30 years in fact I am a mechanic and on a pump for 5 years.
 
steb4242 said:
As I said my diabetic consultant who is a professor for research with diabetes told me it was the BMA who are advising the DVLA to take the driving licence off all type 1 diabetics and reading some of the posts on here they have informed all medical staff i.e. gp's to look for any reason no matter how small or insignificant to notify the DVLA and stop them from driving. I have been a diabetic for 45 years driving for 30 years in fact I am a mechanic and on a pump for 5 years.
Click to expand...

Well no matter what your qualifications are your consultant is talking hog wash.
It's the EU which is dictating to the DVLA not the BMA.
 
CarbsRok,
So when did you become the insider from the BMA or are you just speaking from ignorance? :evil:
 
I admit the intent by EU, but where is your evidence for lack of ill intent within (parts of) BMA?
 
FergusCrawford said:
I admit the intent by EU, but where is your evidence for lack of ill intent within (parts of) BMA?
Click to expand...

Where is the evidence of the person who stated the BMA were taking out all type 1 diabetics?
No mention of type 2's on insulin either. Wonder why that is?
For the ones in the know clarification is being sought as to the exact meaning of the wording.
Now if there was a blanket ban on type 1's who had had a hypo then no one is ever going to see an endo or even admit they have a problem are they? So a lot of job losses in the medical field.
All the info is out there to be read regarding the medical peeps trying to clarify what is what many are having to ring the DVLA to ask exactly what it is they want to know as they are scared to death of ticking the wrong box and a patient losing their licence for no reason.
The DVLA are infact using these new rules now and have been doing so for quite awhile now.
 
Don't think you should blame the EU either, they were simply making things more similar across the UK. Otherwise you get people like me driving on UK roads with an unrestricted licence from elsewhere in Europe. The UK changed things with the previous directive back in the 1990s, other countries interpreted the regulations very much more liberally. It was necessary to have one with clearer definitions and one that member states were required to implement.
The background to and the detail of the changes are talked about here by the chairman of the DVLA diabetes committee. If you don't want to listen there is a full transcript below.
http://www.optimalclinical.com/podcast/ ... egulation/

This is a report of the meeting of the working group that advised the EU (note the British representation) . They really aren't negative about people with diabetes driving, only those that are unaware and have hypos that require help as it is these people that may be a danger on the roads. Even in that case they talk of how restore awareness through running higher and of the possibility that continuous monitoring will, in the future allow some people with hypo unawareness to drive.
The wording they use in the final section is mostly that adopted in the directive
http://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safe ... l_1_en.pdf
Still seems to me a storm in a teacup which I think was caused by partly by the failure of the DVLA to explain things clearly to both doctors and patients and partly by a bit of scaremongering by an the anti European sections of the press.
 
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