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Diabeties and driving Laws on channel 4 news tonight

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Donald

Donald

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
On a e-mail from channel 4 news was this will it answer questions or leave you asking more questions I will be watching to see what they say on at 7 O'Clock



Diabetes driving laws

Finally, diabetes sufferers are likely to be hit by a new European regulation concerning their ability to drive. The issue concerns the 'hypo attacks' that diabetes sufferers can experience when their sugar levels are wrong. The EU argues that such an attack at the wheel could endanger life. The DVLA is trying to catch up with clarifying a current law. Victoria McDonald is on the case.

No sugar rush at 7 tonight. Krishnan and I will be on deck in our usual sugar-free capacity, bringing you all the news that's fit to print, at 7 on 4.

See you then,
Jon.
 
Well the whole thing is an absolute PITA now.

Latest news hot of the press on mine, they want me to go for a medical with my own consultant, which I can't arrange till after next Monday (7 working days from the date of their letter)

I sent the ruddy form back on 31 October, they then said had to get the DSA to confirm I can read a number plate; that didn't get done till the other week (I could LOL), and now they've decided this.

I've had Nil 'severe' hypos, last one of them was about 3 or 4 years before I retired in 2010; I have full hypo awareness.

My 'Card' licence expired 16th January, Yes I do have a 'covering letter' so until they state I cannot drive; I CAN drive .......

I have NO idea what they are doing ........

Oh - last accident was some years prior to 1998 - I know that for a fact because I wasn't living round here. And doubt if it would even show up on the motor insurers database thingy (where they share claims records) as I was driving the firm's car on their commercial motor fleet policy.

They've also told me the other week I'm not allowed to drive C1 or D1 because of changes to the law in January 1998. Well I've known that since when it was announced they were going to do it, prior to January 1998 actually. Having learned to drive as a T1 diabetic and passed my test still as a T1 diabetic, LOL, in 1986.
 
Jenny, is there a head of dept you can email and ask point blank what the problem is?
If no change from last time I can not see what the problem is. :confused:
 
Worth watching the film in the link provided by Pumper Sue. However, simulation of a person without diabetes in a state of hypoglycaemia (but no indication of how low) was a bit odd. The whole point was that she felt "odd" (blurred vision, feelinghot & sweaty, slower reactions), but didn't stop "driving" in the simulator.
 
:( So the chances are my hopes of driving are going to be going out the window???

"A new directive by the European Union and due to come into effect in October, could mean thousands of diabetic drivers in the UK who take insulin having their licences revoked. The rule change introduces a new classification that says many people suffering from diabetes could be seen as unfit to drive, and which could force people who have being driving for many years without any problems – but whose diabetes means they have more than one hypo in a 12-month period – off the roads."
 
I though the problem was not the EU rule itself, but how the DVLA was interpreting the rule.
 
MummyRose2009 said:
:( So the chances are my hopes of driving are going to be going out the window???

"A new directive by the European Union and due to come into effect in October, could mean thousands of diabetic drivers in the UK who take insulin having their licences revoked. The rule change introduces a new classification that says many people suffering from diabetes could be seen as unfit to drive, and which could force people who have being driving for many years without any problems ? but whose diabetes means they have more than one hypo in a 12-month period ? off the roads."
Click to expand...

no you won't. They class a severe hypo as one that needs assistance from a 3rd party. So normal hypos are ok and not counted. So long as you're not having severe hypos where you're ending up in an ambulance, you will be fine 🙂
 
The transport ministry and the DVLA using the new directive to counteract damage by another directive that is coming into play...

A lot of this hammering we have concerning our licences is a prologue to the introduction of T1 and insulin diabetics being allowed to obtain a HGV licence, they've got to toughen up the laws surrounding who can be issued with a licence and who can keep them, so that when diabetics start driving lorries around, then there is some safeguards in place first with only excellent controlled diabetics having a full licence to start with, but also gives the government a means of removing licences at the first hint of trouble..

And I doubt if the government is going to do any back tracking on the new regulations only make the odd noise as they did the other month in parliament, purely because they know that when they sign off the entitlement for diabetics to have the HGV licence, then the first major accident that happens there will such a public outcry that their political career is going down the pan within 24 hours of that accident!
 
Well we can already now learn and pass our test to drive up to a 7.5 ton vehicle, and there's nothing to stop that being a 7.5 ton lorry although it could be a large van, or a horsebox, or a motorhome. If we do that we'll be able to tow a heavy caravan too. Again! Hoorah !

Ditto mini-buses.

But I hadn't actually heard about the HGV business. In that case, what about PSV ?
 
trophywench said:
Well we can already now learn and pass our test to drive up to a 7.5 ton vehicle, and there's nothing to stop that being a 7.5 ton lorry although it could be a large van, or a horsebox, or a motorhome. If we do that we'll be able to tow a heavy caravan too. Again! Hoorah !

Ditto mini-buses.

But I hadn't actually heard about the HGV business. In that case, what about PSV ?
Click to expand...

There you go http://www.diabetes.org.uk/About_us...to-driving-regulations-to-be-brought-forward/
 
trophywench said:
Well we can already now learn and pass our test to drive up to a 7.5 ton vehicle, and there's nothing to stop that being a 7.5 ton lorry although it could be a large van, or a horsebox, or a motorhome. If we do that we'll be able to tow a heavy caravan too. Again! Hoorah !

Ditto mini-buses.

But I hadn't actually heard about the HGV business. In that case, what about PSV ?
Click to expand...

It's an additional test to the normal driving test now if you want to drive upto 7.5 tonnes. I passed after 1998 (2004) so would have to take the additional test even if it's to drive a minibus.
 
B----- EU who won the war !! 🙄🙄 There must be a lot of people in offices doing nothing & makeing up rules 😡
 
There you go you see, were I not diabetic I would have had 'grandmother' rights to still drive C1 and D1, same as Pete has. But I had no idea I could now apply to drive an HGV or a Corporation bus!

I don't think somehow this will affect my life, I don't even want to drive C1 ! (unless of course we buy a slightly heavier motorhome, but then again I have no desire to drive the under 3.5 tonne one - it's far too big for my liking! - Yes I have tried on a very quiet, straight country road in France and nearly sh*&% meself ..... I was OK-ish till the artic came the other way and shook the ruddy thing about, which is a built-in feature of 'big vans' - you can keep em mutter mutter)
 
I think the original idea was to make all EU countries abide by the same, or similar, rules.

We were banning our own diabetics from driving HGVs but allowing EU HGV drivers across. Likewise, the other EU countries were stricter on normal driving licences.

So, it's an attempt at levelling the playing field. But our govt has panicked and now has to sort it out. I hope they come back with something more workable, or at least less ambiguous.

Rob
 
When it is published in the press,then we will know for shore, at the moment
it is all speculation.
 
Incidentally, licence still not renewed. But then it hasn't been revoked either ......

More forms 😱 from consultant and optician were required, consultant one went off last week, optician couldn't do his without me going in cos he needed to record my visual acuity without glasses. I can't see a lot without my glasses. But I can see a lot with my glasses, which I wear constantly except in bed, under the shower and whilst washing my face.

Further news follows in due course, just don't hold yer breaths ......

PS EDUAD renewed his recently as per normal easy peasy. So I reckon I just caught em on a bad day last year !
 
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