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DVLA & Insurance notification as Coach Driver

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Bobbyboyyy

Bobbyboyyy

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi All,

Very new to the site but have had some great and reassuring messages...
I was Diagnosed with Type 2 last Thursday with BGs in the high 20's. Initially on Gliclazide which has since been upped to max dose and now I'm on Insulin Lantus 10u once a day.
I am a Coach Driver and understand that I will have to inform the DVLA but my concern at the moment is the form says if you are on Insulin for 3 months or more. At the moment I don't know much at all as to how long I'm going to be on it so can't say. Also My Main personal transport is motorbike and I see that some people have that part revoked could that happen to me and what if I'm only on insulin for a few months what happens then, do I just get my licence back to normal, or am I just kidding myself that the insulin is short term. All I know at the moment is I'm required to inform them but what can I expect to happen as a Coach Driver. And do I have to inform my insurance. I really appreciate any responses...
 
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Pumper_Sue said:
Hi Rob,
you need to tell your ins company you are on insulin otherwise your ins is invalid.
Same with DVLA you need to fill in certain forms regarding being on insulin. I suspect you will lose your coach licence for the time being but not 100% sure on that.
https://www.gov.uk/diabetes-driving and found this for you as well https://assets.publishing.service.g...ply-for-Group-2-Entitlement-bus-and-lorry.pdf

Hopefully you will be find good luck with it all.
Click to expand...
Oh blimey!! I need to lie down!! Thank you for your reply. So I could lose my bike licence too
 
Bobbyboyyy said:
Oh blimey!! I need to lie down!! Thank you for your reply. So I could lose my bike licence too
Click to expand...
I've never gone into this because I've never ridden a motor bike, but looking at my 3 yr licence, I see Category A motorbike is included. Looking this up, it looks like it's any size of motorbike, (subject to having passed any necessary tests, which I haven't gone into)
 
Well, given that @HOBIE has ridden his motorbike across Asia and he's been Type 1 since 3 years old, I would have thought you are fine with a bike. I don't drive at all though, so just my assumption.
 
I’ve had a motorbike licence since the early eighties and been on insulin since the nineties.
I think it’s only likely to happen if you have severe hypos or lose your hypo awareness.
The rules for PSV drivers are probably more strict so it’s worth googling,
 
Thanks for your input everyone. Will find out soon and post the answer here...
 
Hi @Bobbyboyyy - longterm, you should be able to continue driving a coach and your bike, providing you do not experience multiple, severe hypos or hypo-awareness as @Radders mentioned, but you will need to reapply
more frequently for your license if you remain on insulin or the glyclaside (which is a 'tablet carrying risk of hypoglycaemia - page 73'). For Group 2 license on insulin, that will be annually, but for Group 1 it is every 1-3 years, depending on what the DVLA decide.

The DVLA's 'Assessing Fitness to Drive' guidance is a very lengthy document, but pages 70-75 outlines the criteria that must be met for individuals managing diabetes with insulin. You will see that initially (for Group 2), you MUST provide 3 months worth of BG meter readings (they have to be stored electronically, so make sure you are given a BG meter that does this). Usually, this means that when on insulin, you will unfortunately not be able to drive on a Group 2 license for 3 months until you have the bg readings. Your employer may be able to offer non-driving work in the interim if you are well, but this may fall down to your employer's internal policies.

Regarding the 3 month temporary insulin treatment, you will see that for a Group 2, you must still meet the requirements, so would still need the 3 month of BG readings before driving and so your license will still likely be suspended until you have been given confirmation to drive.

However, if your GP can confirm that the insulin treatment is temporary, it may not apply to your bike license? From experience, DVLA often suspended all licenses simultaneously - however, they changed a lot of their guidance in January 2018 and are trying to work in a more 'case-by-case' way, so they may be more lenient now. Perhaps you can speak to your GP about whether the insulin treatment is likely to be temporary?


(apologies for the lengthy post!)
 
Hannah DUK said:
Hi @Bobbyboyyy - longterm, you should be able to continue driving a coach and your bike, providing you do not experience multiple, severe hypos or hypo-awareness as @Radders mentioned, but you will need to reapply
more frequently for your license if you remain on insulin or the glyclaside (which is a 'tablet carrying risk of hypoglycaemia - page 73'). For Group 2 license on insulin, that will be annually, but for Group 1 it is every 1-3 years, depending on what the DVLA decide.

The DVLA's 'Assessing Fitness to Drive' guidance is a very lengthy document, but pages 70-75 outlines the criteria that must be met for individuals managing diabetes with insulin. You will see that initially (for Group 2), you MUST provide 3 months worth of BG meter readings (they have to be stored electronically, so make sure you are given a BG meter that does this). Usually, this means that when on insulin, you will unfortunately not be able to drive on a Group 2 license for 3 months until you have the bg readings. Your employer may be able to offer non-driving work in the interim if you are well, but this may fall down to your employer's internal policies.

Regarding the 3 month temporary insulin treatment, you will see that for a Group 2, you must still meet the requirements, so would still need the 3 month of BG readings before driving and so your license will still likely be suspended until you have been given confirmation to drive.

However, if your GP can confirm that the insulin treatment is temporary, it may not apply to your bike license? From experience, DVLA often suspended all licenses simultaneously - however, they changed a lot of their guidance in January 2018 and are trying to work in a more 'case-by-case' way, so they may be more lenient now. Perhaps you can speak to your GP about whether the insulin treatment is likely to be temporary?


(apologies for the lengthy post!)
Click to expand...
Thank you Hannah. Good info. I have just called DVLA they were helpful but vague! Basically they will send me out a form and have ‘adviced’not to Drive Coaches until investigation is complete. As far as car licence goes they go by DRs recommendations. I asked about the 3 month bit and not knowing and that didn’t seem to be an issue. I’m guessing the form is long and very comprehensive!!! 14 days to return or licence will be revoked!!
 
Great, let us know if there are any questions you are not clear on and we can try to guide you! 🙂 The form is more straightforward than it used to be so hopefully it won't be too painful! 🙄
 
As your ability to drive is so important - have you been advised on how to eat low carb in order to get lower blood glucose levels?
I went from fully blown diabetic with Hba1c of 91 to not diabetic very quickly and without any medication or even a sense of urgency. I am now a year from getting normal levels and feel great, have lost both weight and size - but it is such a powerful tool to lower BG that you'd need to be very wary of going hypo when taking any glucose lowering medication - you need to be testing your BG level before and during driving anything as you are taking insulin, but doing low carb as well requires extra vigilance.
You might need to speak to your doctor - though some GPs are so behind the time when it comes to diabetes and diet.
 
Drummer said:
You might need to speak to your doctor - though some GPs are so behind the time when it comes to diabetes and diet.
Click to expand...
You would definitely need to speak to your doctor before embarking on any significant changes to your diet if you are on glucose-lowering medication, not just with respect to driving but also because of the potential for night hypos. Any reduction in carb intake would need to be gradual and cautious.
 
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