Well the good news is that all of you excitable young people with diabetes are allowed to drive. you ask - NO the Diabetes Nurses do not take patients …
DRIVING TIPS FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH DIABETES
Can I drive if I have Diabetes?
Well the good news is that all of you excitable young people with diabetes
are allowed to drive Of course this will rely on whether or not you have
the funds to take driving lessons or perhaps you have a very patient,
caring significant other who is willing to let you behind the wheel of
their car for the purpose of driving tuition Now, before you ask - NO -
the Diabetes Nurses do not take patients on driving lessons
There is no reason why a person with diabetes should not hold a driving
licence other than commercial or passenger vehicles However this is on
the understanding that the diabetes is well controlled, there are no
problems with eyesight and that the person does not suffer from
hypoglycaemia that they are unaware of hypoglycaemic unawareness
What is Hypoglycaemic Unawareness???
Keeping blood sugar levels in range between 4-8mmol/L is great when you are
an adolescent The problem with being so damn great is that at this level
there is a greater risk of hypoglycaemia Once your body gets used to BGLs
being at a
lower level most of the time the body can become less sensitive
to drops in the blood glucose levels so that your awareness of having a
hypo may not be so acute
Making sure you dont have a hypo when you are at the wheel
V Check your BGL BEFORE you get in the car to drive
V Dont get in the car to drive if you are running late for a meal or
snack - eat first and then drive
Being Prepared for unexpected Hypos
As you know sometimes hypos happen out of the blue for no reason For this
reason you have to be prepared
V Keep hypo food in the glove box
Precautions while driving
Always have meals and snacks before and during long journeys Its safest
not to delay meal times Take regular, short breaks from driving
Check your blood sugar levels regularly If you feel that your blood sugar
is low, stop driving and treat it with a quick acting sugar - eg, three
glucose tablets Follow this up with a plain muesli bar or biscuits Wait
until the sugar has started to work before you start driving again
Keep a supply of plain muesli bars, biscuits, glucose tablets, dried fruit
and long-lasting fruit juice in your pocket or
in the glove box
Dont delay treating low blood sugar levels The brain becomes confused
when blood sugars reach low levels Be aware of your warning signs
Although a mild hypo may not seem to impair your driving, its vital to act
before your judgement is affected
If you sometimes experience hypoglycaemia unawareness hypos without
warning signs, it may be unwise for you to drive You should discuss this
with your doctor or specialist diabetes nurse
Remember that changing a car tyre or pushing a car could result in low
blood sugar levels Be prepared
We recommend that people with diabetes avoid consuming even small amounts
of alcohol if theyre going to drive
When you shouldnt drive
In some situations, you may need to refrain from driving If you have a
mild hypoglycaemic episode, we recommend that you dont drive for at least
an hour, to give your brain time to recover
If you have a severe hypoglycaemic episode eg, when you need someone
elses help to deal with it, you shouldnt drive for 24 hours If you have
several hypoglycaemic
episodes, you should talk to your doctor before you
return to driving
If you have a severe hypoglycaemic episode while youre driving, you
shouldnt drive for at least a month - whether youre involved in a crash
or not Its likely youll need to see a specialist before you can safely
return to driving, and youll need to talk to your doctor
Legal note
Insulin and tablets for the control of diabetes are classified as drugs
under the Land Transport Act 1998 You may be prosecuted under this Act if
you misuse or abuse diabetes medications and your driving results in
crashes or injuries For a case to proceed, however, there would need to be
proof that the way youd used the drugs was contrary to medical advice
Driving is Serious
Get More Info at:
http://wwwlandtransportgovtnz/factsheets/16html
If your Diabetes Team feel that you are not fit to drive we have a moral
obligation to notify the Land Transport Authority
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