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Driving Licence Application

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T

Tina63

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Parent of person with diabetes
My son wants to apply for his provisional licence. As many of you will know, his problem isn't hypos (which he does have good awareness of - in fact at well above 4 at the moment) but being hyper all the time. I have read through the medical form and it only makes reference to hypos. I know you have to give permission for them to contact your GP and Consultant, and he will have to admit on the form that he has seen his Consultant more than 5 times in the past 12 months, so I suspect they may contact her, but do they make any enquiries about hyper levels? I just wonder if they may refuse him a licence at the moment. In a way, if they do that may shock him into action at long last. I am aware of it causing lack of concentration and blurred vision, both of which I would consider a danger in the driving seat, but do they actually ask about that?

Any advice gratefully received.

Thanks.
Tina
 
There is a new requirement for visual acuity for driving licences which came in in may this year, see here: http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla//medical/Vision changes 01-05-2012.aspx

I've not seen any mention of hypers and licences. The main concern is people becoming unconscious at the wheel from hypos.
Perhaps you could ask his GP what they think.
 
I think there was a case of someone a couple of years ago who killed a pedestrian (I may have misremembered this) when he passed out at the wheel of his van. The report implied that he had not been injecting his insulin and had passed out from being too high.

So I would hope they take note of general poor control and unwillingness to take responsibility for diabetes. It is just as dangerous as hypos, but obviously has longer term effects and is probably less predictable.

In the 'good old days' it hinged upon a letter/form from your GP/consultant about how well 'controlled' you were in their opinion. I would imagine there's leeway for a general statement from the doctor still. It can't all be down to numbers.🙂

Rob
 
As it's a first licence request they will go to his consultant.
As he is so badly controlled I doubt she will sanction it at all as it's her reputation at stake as well as other road users lives.
 
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