Introduction:
While there is no evidence that people with diabetes cause any more road accidents than any other group, drivers with diabetes, as a group, are considered to be at an increased risk of having motor vehicle crashes by the Road Safety Authority. There are two main issues which drivers with diabetes should be aware of:
- The impact which a hypoglycaemic episode may have on a driver while driving.
- The negative impact on eye-sight and safe driving caused by diabetic retinopathy.
Irish road safety rules prevent driving licences being issued to, or renewed for, applicants or drivers who have recurrent severe hypoglycaemia or/and impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia.
(Note: a severe hypoglycaemia means that the assistance of another person is needed and a recurrent hypoglycaemia is defined a second severe hypoglycaemia during a period of 12 months).
The Road Safety Authority recommends that people with diabetes should consider making stops and eating snacks frequently, have easy availability of glucose supplements and be able to recognise the early signs of impending hypoglycaemia.
All drivers with diabetes should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the risk of hypoglycaemia and adequate control of the condition.
Legal Obligations, the Motor Tax Office and Insurance:
Diabetes Ireland strongly recommends that people with diabetes inform the Motor Tax Office and your vehicle insurer that they have diabetes when diagnosed with diabetes, when applying for, or renewing a drivers licence or vehicle insurance.
People with diabetes who are being treated with insulin or medication have a legal obligation to inform the Motor Tax Office.
Renewing your Driving Licence:
If you are being treated for diabetes with insulin or medication and wish to renew your driving licence after your current licence has expired, you can simply submit an application for another license, with a specialist’s report (preferably from an endocrinologist / diabetologist) and two photos. A new license will then be issued to you.
If you are renewing your licence after a diagnosis of diabetes, but your current driving licence is still valid, you can be issued with a new licence at no extra cost. Your new licence will have a ‘101 restriction’ – this means is that you will have to submit a medical report when you renew your license on the next occasion – there will be no reference to diabetes on your license.
Rules applying to Drivers to Different Categories of Vehicles:
For assessment of medical fitness to drive, vehicles are divided into two main groups (Group 1 – a motorbike or a car with less than 8 passengers including driver, vehicle must weigh less than 3,500 kg and Group 2 – larger vehicles.
The Road Safety Authority also advised that a severe hypoglycaemic event during waking hours, even unrelated to driving, should result in the issuing of advice not to drive and should give rise to a reassessment of the licensing status following expert medical opinion from an endocrinologist.
Does having diabetes preclude you from having a driving license for public service vehicles such as a taxi/hackney?
The driving license required to drive a taxi (a category B vehicle) is the standard driving licence for a car and normal rules apply. Renewal of the license is based on medical fitness to drive. When applying for a driving license, the individual applies under categories.
Application for renewal of a Group 1 driving license must be accompanied by a medical report irrespective of the type of diabetes or the method of treatment. For many applicants with diabetes (type 2 diabetes which is not treated by taking insulin or medication which might cause hypoglycaemia) their general practitioner, who will determine how long the report is valid for, may complete the medical report. In the case of a person requiring insulin, it is usually the hospital consultant / endocrinologist that completes this report.
Provided your taxi is not more than a seven-seater, these rules apply. If it is larger, you need a group 2 licence which carries much more stringent rules. Regardless of the size of the vehicle used, you will need to have a letter from your consultant stating that your diabetes is stable for insurance purposes.
I have type 2 diabetes and need to start insulin. Does this mean that I will lose my HGV licence?
The licensing authority in Ireland state that it is only “in exceptional circumstances” that a person requiring insulin therapy will be given a class 2 licence. Part of the requirement for application for a class 2 licence requires a specialist diabetes consultant’s letter stating that you have stable diabetes for the past year. Unfortunately, starting on insulin therapy means that your diabetes is currently unstable.