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Have you had problems with the DVLA since being diagnosed?

Have you had problems with the DVLA since being diagnosed?

  • Yes

    Votes: 13 26.5%

  • No

    Votes: 36 73.5%
  • Total voters
    49
Re the EU, my Swiss licence was valid for life without review despite being Type 1. But then Switzerland is not in the EU. You don't even have to wear seat belts there.

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
I have been a type 1 diabetic for the past 9 years and after having some hypo's in my early days i was refused my license for 1 year until confirmed ' stable'. Then re-issued a 3 year license, no problems so far apart from not being contacted regarding upcoming renewals.

With no offense intended I think many of you are very precise with your readings and many people being too strict on them selves. I have been told by many specialists and teachers on diabetes to eat like a normal person if you want too and what you want in life; just monitor your levels and look after yourself. (obviously not too much sugar or excessive carbs) .
Also, keep your sugars below 10 - above this is fine now and again just not for extensive periods of time.

I would never drive below 9 at the least, especially if its a longish journey i would never take the risk in anyway. Doing any sort of exercise, walking, running or gym work i would always stay above 10, if your sat down all day at the computer and using no energy than yes below 10 would be fine.

I know we are all different and kind regards.

Justin
 
bonus said:
I have been a type 1 diabetic for the past 9 years and after having some hypo's in my early days i was refused my license for 1 year until confirmed ' stable'. Then re-issued a 3 year license, no problems so far apart from not being contacted regarding upcoming renewals.

With no offense intended I think many of you are very precise with your readings and many people being too strict on them selves. I have been told by many specialists and teachers on diabetes to eat like a normal person if you want too and what you want in life; just monitor your levels and look after yourself. (obviously not too much sugar or excessive carbs) .
Also, keep your sugars below 10 - above this is fine now and again just not for extensive periods of time.

I would never drive below 9 at the least, especially if its a longish journey i would never take the risk in anyway. Doing any sort of exercise, walking, running or gym work i would always stay above 10, if your sat down all day at the computer and using no energy than yes below 10 would be fine.

I know we are all different and kind regards.

Justin
Click to expand...
Hmm. Quite a lot there.

Pretty much every diabetic in the UK for at least the last 20 years has been told "just eat a normal healthy diet ". So if some of us are choosing to ignore that advice it's not because we never heard it. We heard it. We don't think it's good enough to follow that advice and then see Hba1c results climb year on year into the tens, teens, mid teens. It's possible to have appalling blood sugar control and not see any effects for ten years. By the time complications hit, the damage is done.

Re driving it's unsafe to drive with hyperglycemia and 10 mmol/L. There's no law against it but your judgement and reactions will be impaired at that level.

Anything 10 or higher is stressful to the kidneys and is racking up long term kidney damage.

You are right though a lot of people on here are very strict and that does not suit everyone.

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I am PCV/LGV holder . When I notified DVLA about going onto insulin it took them 4 days to revoke my licence . However when the law was changed and I was allowed to drive professionally again it took 18 months to get it returned but only on an annual period of time.
In January this year DVLA sent me the form for renewal but so far no licence has been issued.
DVLA and their staff must be the most unhelpful , incompetent staff in the country and because of this I now have to pay a small fortune to get a CPC , which is just another tax for professional drivers,for working purposes.
 
tks.1954 said:
I am PCV/LGV holder . When I notified DVLA about going onto insulin it took them 4 days to revoke my licence . However when the law was changed and I was allowed to drive professionally again it took 18 months to get it returned but only on an annual period of time.
In January this year DVLA sent me the form for renewal but so far no licence has been issued.
DVLA and their staff must be the most unhelpful , incompetent staff in the country and because of this I now have to pay a small fortune to get a CPC , which is just another tax for professional drivers,for working purposes.
Click to expand...
I think you have to put it in perspective that until recently PCV holders on insulin would just lose their license, end of story. So although it is a big hassle to get renewed, it is much better than it was. There could be 80 or a hundred people's lives depending on your blood sugar control, and that's just inside the PCV, not to mention the people in other vehicles on the road. So it's not just about your right to do your job, it has to be balanced with the safety of others.

It is frustrating when the bureaucracy is slow and rubbish though.

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
I had no issues. Notified them I'm taking insulin and had no "severe hypos" (as the form said) before (that is, hypos when I needed help of other people), sent off the form and got a response that they will replace my 10-year license for 3-year one (booo!). Sent the old one back to them, got a new one and all looks good!

So, no problems on my side (yet :D)

Details here:
https://www.gov.uk/diabetes-driving
 
So glad I have a French licence, it is valid or a long while yet however being over 65 means I need a medical for my bus and HGV every 2 years for the truck and yearly for the bus. Whilst I am on insulin and have been for 14 years its mainly because metformin in its many guises makes me VERY ill. 2 pills of metformin stopped me being able to ride my motorbike for 6 weeks and drive a car for a week to any extent.
There is no need to change your licence for an English one, all you need to do is inform the DVLA of your UK address and your Netherlands permit number.
You will possibly get a load of illegal manure from Swansea about changing your licence, you do not and if you do get the bxxxxxks from Swansea then contact Solvit EU.
Swansea had an illegal page on their website and they insisted they were right. I contacted Solvit and the DVLA insisted that they had never said that, however, I had saved the page and also Solvit had seen it. They the DVLA just removed the erroneous information and never replied to me.
For info, the French licence, the old pink one, is valid for about another 20 years IF you do not renew for HGV or bus etc, otherwise the new plastic one is valid for 10 years and 2 and 1 year for trucks and buses respectively.
I still ride my motorbike a 500cc + almost every day when its not raining, and in fact just got another. I am only 68 after all.
 
I am type 2 never had a hypo and applied to be a bus driver had the assessment centre today passed that and have a test drive next weekend.
If I pass that comes the interview and medical.
My diabetes is controlled by tablets I have been told to bring a list of my tablets to the medical if I get that far.
I have looked it up and seems like a lot of form filling and dr reports before being granted a provisional licence BUT I don't think they can discriminate simply because you are diabetic even those on insulin OR am I wrong ?
 
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