DVLA

I'm not impressed with dvla I informed them back in April and filled everything out got told would have 3 yrs licence and still not had anything back from them handed back my photocard which I use as ID. They don't seem that organised so have sympathy for you because it's annoying waiting and that you have done everything right.

At least you both have worked out what you have to do. I got the large form and don't know how to fill half of it out.

AntLockyer said:

At least you both have worked out what you have to do. I got the large form and don't know how to fill half of it out.

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http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg ... 202154.pdf

here you go nice and simple

Thanks, I'll have another go today.

I see a nurse at the diabetic centre, does that count as a consultant?

Hi

Although a DSN is not a consultant, all the DVLA need to know is that your diabetes care is overlooked by a HCP which can be a consultant, a GP or a DSN. If you enter the info on the form and that dates that you see your DSN, then that should be ok.

I for one am pleased that pressure put on the DVLA to alter the questionnaire regarding driving and hypos has now been done.

My thoughts ................ is that the only concern that the DVLA need to be aware of is how good someones hypo awareness is when driving a car. What it is like when not driving is nothing to do with the DVLA. Depending on hypo awareness to keep us safe when driving has always been questionable and that is why people are now urged to test their bg levels before they drive and to make sure that they have some food or sweets easily available (on the dashboard or just underneath it is a good idea). If you are unsure what your bg levels are, eat a sweet or two while driving. As long as people get from A-B safe and sound..... that's all that matters.

Re: DVLA Life and so on

Luckily, I live in France, however, my father was a diabetic in the UK and believe it or not both the hospital AND my fathers doctor told my father NOT to notify the DVLA /DVLC etc. The reasons being as follows, the DVLA have little knowledge or concept of diabetics, or any other medical things either, every diabetic has more regular controls than non diabetics, so perhaps those that are NOT diabetics should be controlled more! and finally, most diabetics know the problems more so than others and are more likely to take remedial action! He had a letter from the doctor/ hospital to that effect.

Now here in France the sensible action is taken, I do not even have to notify the authorities, my HGV is renewed now I am 66 every 2 years and my bus if I keep it up every year. For that I need a medical, how many car drivers have that if they are not diabetics, as a diabetic anyway I have to see the doctors every 3-6 months, my eyes as I have glaucoma every 3-6 months (had trab so no real problems now). We also have not yet the age 70 medical, and as my licence is an open ended one I cannot be forced to relinquish it for another I think its 21 years, contrary to what Swansea say if I came back to blighty.

The Medical for diabetes routine tests is far and away more thorough than the driving medical.

Now a throw in, Universities in both Norway and California have discovered that people who suffer from hard wheat sensitivity (symptoms include falling asleep within about 1/2 an hour of ingesting, waking feeling depressed, bloated feeling,) will be a type 2 diabetic, but these same people will fall asleep after eating hard wheat stuff now should they have a "thing" hanging over their driving.

The above is now being looked into about lorry drivers falling asleep in the afternoon and the number of said accidents! Incidentally most wheat consumed in the UK is soft wheat both red and white, whereas much in France is hard. Weetibix for example is probably all soft as it comes from local farms it certainly does not affect me. I have been a diabetic for over 10 years, am on Actarapid 30 30 30 with about 180-100-100 or 8-9, 6,6. I take 1000ug B12 when my shoulder starts to block or middle fingers lock and go clicky. I seriously rejected metformin stuff, glaucophage etc. and can go about 3 days without injecting and being serious over my diet!

Now here in France the sensible action is taken, I do not even have to notify the authorities, my HGV is renewed now I am 66 every 2 years and my bus if I keep it up every year

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Only because the law has not yet been applied to those who already have a licence. The new EU directive has been put in place in France and diabetes has to be declared when a licence is first applied for.
http://www.afd.asso.fr/diabete-en-socie ... e-conduire
If you were applying for a first licence in France then you would have to have a medical by a doctor nominated by the prefecture ; any licence given is temporary (6 months-5years) Then you would have to go through the procedure again. You have to pay the cost of the medical.( and apparently the doctors appointed are not specialists and may call for a specialist report at a further cost, costs reaching according to this petition €100
http://www.mesopinions.com/petition/san ... ssage/1994


If you become diabetic after gaining your GP 1 licence then you are supposed to declare it, most don't and you do not have to exchange it for a temporary one. If you lose your licence for more than a month for a traffic offence, or if you are involved in an accident you may have to reapply for a licence and thus will become covered by the medical/temporary licence system
http://www.hegp.fr/diabeto/droitpermis.html

OK well some 10 years ago when I first applied for my HGV here I did declare it, have declared it every exam after and never had a problem. We have a medical of about €25 per time and all that you pay for on top of that is the photographs. Apparently if there is a problem with your diabetes then there may be inquiries, certainly if you are a new driver with pre existing diabeties as there is nothing to go on, however, if you already have a licence and then become diabetic you only have to notify if you have a problem and your doctor will tell you that.
However, I spoke actually to my diabetes doctor about this sort of thing and it seems that as diabetics are FULLY covered for medical disbursements that the person that is to gain a permit is supposed to deal with this at the time of a normal periodic medical and she will inform the doctor assigned to do the HGV or whatever medical. It also seems to be on how bad ones problem is. As I no longer wish to maintain my HGV after next year my licence is valid for about 21 years through out the EU (DVLA Read) However any licence issued from this year in France has a 10 year limit and after 70 a regular medical (free incidentally as it should be in the UK according to the DVLA!!)
If the authorities are not careful with this sort of thing then many people will just not bother, no insurance, no licence, and in an exported car! Lets face it there is only so much people can take, if for example I was not allowed to drive then frankly I would not be able to live, no food, no medical, no drugs. We have no public transport around here, so it means the state wherever, will have to arrange housing, no argument we cannot spend loads of money on for example medicals, the figures you quote is a weeks money after things like house tax, house insurance, water, electric, possibly more.
We do have a thing here called sans permis, but at 30MPH or less a 1 hour journey to the local shops, doctor etc. is a bit silly!

It does not surprise me that many french do not know how to go about the licence thing, we had bum information on them, it has not changed, its the same with tax and loads of other things. We had to straighten the DVLA out on driving licences, an EU licence is valid in the UK until its expiry date or 21 odd years which ever comes first for residents of the UK AND any other EU country. Incidentally IF the UK start putting a Union Flag on to Driving licences and a chip then the licence will NOT be valid in Europe! It will not be harmonized!

Go and get a Maltese licence now, its valid for the 21 odd years and easy to get with an exchange! OK for car and bike! Theirs are supposed to change next year!!!

im not impressed with the dvla since the rules changed at the begining of 2012 ive had my licence revoked as i dont get warning symptomes even tho i can prove i test before i start the engine and if i am on a long drive everytime i stop. they have informed me that i am not entitled to drive till i get my insulin pump biggest downside is i have only just been put on the waiting list so now have to wait for funding. ive lost my job and carnt even visit friends or family as i have no money now. how they dont class this as a disability is beyond me.

ash2012uk said:

im not impressed with the dvla since the rules changed at the begining of 2012 ive had my licence revoked as i dont get warning symptomes even tho i can prove i test before i start the engine and if i am on a long drive everytime i stop. they have informed me that i am not entitled to drive till i get my insulin pump biggest downside is i have only just been put on the waiting list so now have to wait for funding. ive lost my job and carnt even visit friends or family as i have no money now. how they dont class this as a disability is beyond me.

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Having an insulin pump will not get you back your licence.
If you are hypo unaware then no licence. Which is more than fair as there are other road users on the road besides you.
The only way to get your licence back is to get your hypo awareness back.
This is done by either running your numbers a bit higher for a while or changing to a different type of insulin.

Hi, unfortunately yours is possibly the reason that things may have got worse, permit to drive wise! A pump will not stop you having hypers or hypos, the reason is that the pump has to be set and your carb intake exactly matched so the pump is useless as far as that is concerned!!
Add to that I gather you are not only type 1 you are also not able to anticipate problems.
I am type 2 but my system works, hence I know when I have problems and the reason why repeated doctors say I have no problem with driving. In your case, if your BS goes down you will not be aware and pass out and bang! The problem that wheat sensitive people have, they fall asleep, are not aware its happening, and again bang!
Now it depends on your realizations etc and the likely hood of it happening that will determine your having a licence to drive.
Me, not only do I know its happening, I can survive (just) with no medication. It is it seems also that a reduction in wheat is reducing my insulin requirement and that that is also reducing my borderline overweight/obese weight.
The non dependantcy on the insulin as a daily mandatory thing and the totally devoid of non aware hypos etc that I can and continue to have a licence to drive. 1 failure to recognise a hypo coming on and a black out means no driving, period!
Now for a newly diagnosed type 1 getting a licence, or should I say a type 1 getting a licence, there is a problem with history, if there is no medical history, then how can it be ascertained where to start. That is the reason for the delay. For a type 2 with a licence, the onset is easy to follow, and in fact there are about 3-4 million diabetics that know it not.
They may fall asleep with a hyper, they may just have other problems but not associate it. We suspect my dad was a diabetic for about 20 years in retrospect before we realised it!
So, it is extremely difficult for the authorities to know it is the medical people that have to asses the situation. Therefore I do believe that the doctors comments have to be taken into account. In my case for example I have told everybody and the approved doctor has said that I have no problem. End of!
I am therefore guessing that your doctors have basically said that they cannot with hand on heart say they are completely happy with your situation!

Change of subject, as you have lost your job was it thru being a diabetic, IF it was then you have a case, both for unfair dismissal or for medical benefits or possibly both. Just appeal for incap benefit or whatever it is called now. They cannot refuse you if you are basically housebound thru a medical complaint, being sacked for a medical reason is actually a very good reason for getting medical benefits! Do remember that over 50% of appeals are upheld!

ANyone any idea how long DVLA usually take to respond?

I filled in the humungous form of theirs late in May (anticipating a change to insulin which came on the 28th) and posted the form to them approx 1st June. I have still heard nothing from them - is this normal?

And, what should I expect? I informed them I was type II but not insulin treated about 14 years ago, have a letter confirming I told them and nothing needed to be done unless things changed, and have now sent back the form with a change.

Have also told my insurance company who basically told me I was wasting their time and they didn;t need to know - is this correct?

thanks
Trulee

I've akways heard back pretty quickly when I've had to renew my license (within 4 weeks anyway). If you still haven't heard I'd give them a call and see what the hold up is. I haven't had to reapply since the rule changes came in - not looking forward to the next application. My hypo awareness is very good so I'm hoping there won't be any other problems.

It's not just the DVLA who are clamping down, insurance companies seen to be more aware of diabetes than ever before. I was in a small crash just before christmas. Nothing serious, but the police were called and insurance companies got involved. Even though the accident wasn't my fault (woman behind me was talking on her mobile and drove into the back of my car) I was asked by both the police and insurance company when I last tested my sugar levels. The police even asked to see my meter to verify this. It had the wrong date and time on it as I have no idea how to change it, but they still accepted it. I drive a lot for work and it can be a real pain having to test all the time, but I'd definitely advise people to do it going forwards!

Em

Please just stop moaning about having to fill in these forms. The consequences of driving and having a hypo are fatal. My son was killed by a diabetic who had become hypoglycaemic unaware whilst driving. Do not become complacent and test your blood sugar before driving and test again after 2 hours. You sign a declaration to say you will on the DVLA form.

Breaved,
I am sorry for your loss.
However, I am not complacent, I test my BG BEFORE & DURING my journeys, In fact I am in favour of sensible restriction of driving. I do get P*ssed off at ignorant bureaucrats bringing in and enforcing malformed legislation that is not fit for purpose and is punitive.

I believe all drivers should have a medical every 5 years I had to for my HGV .they should also have an eye test every 2 years . A lot of people's eyesight deteriorates slowly and they do not realise they cannot meet the current eyesight standards


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