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Is Driving and Diabeties a good idea?

Lulu9101112

Well-Known Member
Messages
378
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Football, Rugby, Sweede, Parsnips, Beetroot
So bassically i'm 18. If i do learn to drive i proabbaly wont till i'm at least 20 or have my own job.
The main reason i want to drive when i'm older is because i want to work with animals and i'll have more pets as well and it's easier than just relying on public transport. But i have two main questions related to diabeties type 1.

1. Well say once you pass your exam and get your licence what would you do say if you were driving and you felt low but there was no where to pull up or nearby parking place so you could check and treat it so what would you do?
2. Also say in the unlikely event if you lost concentration due to low blood sugar and caused a veichle accident would you still get arrested or/and points on your lisence even though it technically wasn't your fault?
 
Read this Lulu, it should explain things pretty well. You'll have to tell DVLA and you'll need to test before driving. If you have an accident due to low BS it could be construed as your fault. I'm sure others will expand on this.
Dave
 

Hi @Lulu9101112
1. There is always somewhere to pull over. UK law is that you test your blood before you drive and every 2 hours during a longer journey. If you are in control of your diabetes these rules should be adequate.
2. Technically if you cause an accident it is your fault, regardless of your blood sugar level.

Don't let this put you off. Your post doesn't say how long you have had diabetes, or how well it is controlled?
People with diabetes (many on here) have fought tooth and nail to be treated fairly with regards to driving. Well controlled diabetes should not preclude anyone from holding a driving licence.
 
@Alison Campbell I drive, I passed my test at the end of Oct 2015, then by feb 2016 I was Diagnosed. I was pretty late to my license too.

I think it is worth it, but you have to think in the mindset of safety, I will never drive unless I have fingerstick tested, even if my Dexcom is in the clear. Its a pain and uses up a few (if you are like 4.0 and are waiting) but its better in terms of safety, and worst case scenario, get pulled over routinely and you have fingerstick to prove.

Its been no real hassle, I have driven 3 hours straight, little service stop to check my blood as we drive. Any time I have felt off I have pulled over and checked, but that has only happened once. If you respect the rules and laws you will have no issue whatsoever.

Enjoy!
 
@Lulu9101112 Many Type 1s drive We just have to fill in an extra medical form and make sure we abide by the rules when we drive eg having hypo awareness, testing at regular intervals, etc.

Ideally, you wouldn't fewl low when driving because you'd have tested regularly to avoid this, but if you did feel low the advice is to pull over as soon as it's safe to do so.

If you caused an accident, then yes, you could be prosecuted if you were at fault.
 


Point 2. It is not always your fault, if you have a finger stick prior to driving (and probably one at the scene to prove it) you will be ok, normal accident rules should apply i.e. run into the back of someone, auto that persons fault.

Edit: Misread what your typed! - but I will keep it for clarification
 
Firstly, @Lulu9101112, respect for recognising that it is possible to live without a car. There are definitely benefits for having one but it is not always more convenient to sit in a traffic jam rather than reading on a train, for example.

However, avoiding driving and choosing not to drive are not the same thing. Diabetes is not a reason to avoid driving. Like everything else in our lives, with a little bit of planning, driving with diabetes is just the same as driving without diabetes.

If you can win Olympic medals or lead a country with diabetes, you can drive if you want to.
 
Something to bear in mind, nothing to do with diabetes. My daughter had driving lessons and passed the test during her gap year. She then didn't own a car or drive for over 3 years while at university. When she got a car she was able to say she had a licence for 4 years without an accident which made her insurance much cheaper.
 
@Lulu9101112 , in answer to your thread title Yes it is. I can't see why diabetes should hold anyone back unless they are hypo unaware or have anxiety issues around driving.

Holding down a licence and owning a car/motorbike gives you so much freedom and flexibility, public transport can't be relied upon nowadays as cuts have meant that many services and routes have been slashed or cut altogether, so funds being available I would have a go at passing your driving test now so you have some experience when you apply for your work involving animals.

I passed my own driving test at 17 six weeks after my birthday, still hold a licence now and would be lost without it tbh. Good luck with your career choice.
 
In general terms I think a driving license gives a person a great freedom to go out when and to where they please. If you want a bunch of animals in the back then that's entirely up to you but not in this hot weather.

Adding the diabetic dimension gives you responsibilities in that not only do you have to notify the DVLA but you also have to manage your condition in order for you to be a safe driver. You wouldn't plan to have an accident but you will have to put in extra effort to make absolutely certain that you don't.

There have been a couple of horror stories where a driver went hypo and an enlightened policeman made the assumption that they were just another drunk. Not only do you end up in a cell but you don't get treatment. This scenario should be avoided at all costs.

I would still encourage you to pass your test and get a car. I hope you succeed.
 
Hi Lulu,
Shortly saying. Of course it is. You just have to take care of yourself like anyway. It is rather matter to obtain the proper skill from a good instructor and work hard for it. Once you get the licence and drive it is all become a second nature. Good luck!
 
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Hi @Lulu9101112
I found out I had diabetes when I was 13 years old, I always wanted to drive so when I turned 17 I had driving lessons & passed a few months later. I am now 37 & I have been driving every single day since I passed (pretty much!). My point is that as long as you check your bloods before you get in the car, and as others have said check them again every 2 hours into a long drive, there is nothing wrong with a diabetic driving. You just have to be sensible & look after yourself & therefore others too.
 
This is sound advice and as long as you follow what the people have said you should be fine. Make sure that you tell the insurance company about your diabetes as they may ask for a letter from your consultant just to confirm you are able to drive. The DVLA will also want to contact your consultant as well. I had to apply for my licence every 3 years which you fill a form in and send it back they check with your consultant to make sure nothing has changed. I had a lot of treatment on my eyes for the age of 18 till i was 21 so as part of my check i go to vission express and they do some tests and send them back to the DVLA. You need to inform them if you have had an op or hospital treatment that you can not drive for some time, this happened after i had my transplant i was unable to drive for 6 weeks phoned the DVLA up and told them and they got in touch with thr hospital and sent a date in which it said the day i could drive from.
 
@Lulu9101112 Well done on applying for the license and good luck with the test when it comes!

One thing - and there a few occasions when you won't have the opportunity to pull other and test immediately (eg motorway roadworks that go on for miles where hard shoulder has been removed) - but do make sure you have some rapid acting hypo treatments in the car all the time eg glucose tabs or glucojuice, etc not chocolate.

If you feel low and really can't pull over straight away then treat, then pull over as soon as you can. Worse thing is you may go a little high. But if you were feeling 3.5 then even if you were actually 5.5 you won't go sky high.

Definitely better to play it safe in what would be a rare situation.
 
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