New licence amendments

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Pumper_Sue

Pumper_Sue

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
It sounds like they're proposing to relax the epilepsy rules (which, I think, were very strict) and tighten up the rules on 'severe hypos' which will need defining very well. I can see some over-zealous doctors who don't understand diabetes refusing to sign medical questionnaires because of a couple of mild hypos.

The biggest news is the consideratin of diabetics for HGV and PSV which may help a couple of our members. 🙂

Rob
 
The date of that .GOV site says 2010 so has it already happened?
 
ypauly said:
The date of that .GOV site says 2010 so has it already happened?
Click to expand...

Those are the rules as they are now.
The other link is what they are going to do.

Which means where as you lost your licence for a year for 2 unconcious hypo's in one year.
The new ruling means 2 unconcious hypos or third party assistance is loss of licence for good.

So if at the age of 19 or 20 you have this happen you can never drive again
 
Pumper_Sue said:
Those are the rules as they are now.
The other link is what they are going to do.

Which means where as you lost your licence for a year for 2 unconcious hypo's in one year.
The new ruling means 2 unconcious hypos or third party assistance is loss of licence for good.

So if at the age of 19 or 20 you have this happen you can never drive again
Click to expand...

Oh ok thanks.
 
It is a frightening scenario as it's written. I would hope Duk will be consulted and will fight hard to ammend that part. Control comes and goes, so they would make diabetics in remote places unemployable. And newly diagnosed diabetics could easily have 2 hospitalisations in 12 months, mainly due to lack of meaningful education from the NHS. I can't see it being enforceable unless it's only for a fixed period and then reviewed or only in the most severe of cases (eg. people refusing to test, etc).

Rob
 
No, the proposed rules (to conform with an EU directive) do not say that you will lose your licence forever

RECURRENT SEVERE HYPOGLYCAEMIA
Definition
3.2 Severe hypoglycaemia means that the assistance of another person is needed.
Recurrent hypoglycaemia is defined as a ?second severe hypoglycaemia during a period of 12 months.? On occasion, severe hypoglycaemia can result from medication other than insulin.

Current UK standard
3.3 Drivers who have had frequent hypoglycaemic episodes must cease driving.
Licences may be refused or revoked for such applicants if they are considered ?a source of danger to the public?. However, if control has been re-established, a licence can be issued or renewed.

New EU Rules
3.4 Drivers experiencing recurrent severe hypoglycaemia shall not be issued a licence.
This is more clear cut than previous EU rules, particularly because of the clear definition of recurrent hypoglycaemia as being two episodes in 12 months.

Proposed change to UK standard
3.5 The UK is obliged to adopt this standard. The Panel and DVLA also support the standard, having considered the EU working group report ?Diabetes and Driving in Europe? which indicated that recent severe hypoglycaemia seemed to be predictive for future incidents. Whilst current UK Guidance in ?At a Glance? is capable of implementing this standard, even at present, in practice it has previously been interpreted more flexibly. We
are now required to interpret the standard more strictly and in practice, this will prevent some applicants and existing drivers from holding a licence. However, the EU rules also allow a licence to be granted once control or awareness is re-established and we shall continue to do this. (my bolding)
Consideration of the need for change

3.6 The current UK standard will need to be interpreted more strictly. We shall amendguidance and /or regulations to make the new standard clearer

IMPAIRED AWARENESS OF HYPOGLYCAEMIA
Definition
3.7 Impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia means an inability to detect the onset of hypoglycaemia due to a total absence of warning symptoms.
my bolding

Current UK standard
3.8 Drivers with impaired awareness are required to cease driving, until awareness has been re-gained.
New EU Rules
3.9 Driving licences shall not be issued to, nor renewed for, applicants or drivers who have impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia. In practice, this will prevent some applicants and existing drivers from holding a licence.

Proposed change to UK standard
3.10 The UK must adopt this standard. As for recurrent hypoglycaemia, existing UK guidance must now be interpreted more strictly.

Consideration of the need for change
3.11 We shall amend guidance and /or regulations to make the new standard clearer.
Click to expand...

One thing that occurs to be that the level at which a hypo is normally defined varies throughout Europe some as in the UK use 4mmol/l (72mg/dl, others use 65mg/dl (3.6mg/dl) and some as low 60mg/dl (3.3mmol). Personally I rarely sense a hypo at 4mmol/l, mostly at 3.6mmol/l and almost .. though not invariably at 3.3mmol. (I've also never had a hypo whilst driving as my glucose levels invariably rise rather than fall)

There will also be a relaxing of the rules for group 2 licences. People in the UK have been restricted to Cat C1. The new directive means that the UK will now have to allow people to be 'considered for licensing in any other Group 2 category of vehicle.There will be conditions (no severe hypos, full hypo awareness, testing at least twice a day plus when driving, demonstrate an understanding of the dangers of hypos and driving, no other debarring complications)
http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/consultations/currentconsultations.aspxhttp://
 
Thanks for clarifying Helen.🙂

The Daily Mail being selective with their facts again 🙄

Rob
 
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