And ask your doctor about blood sugar awareness training. Studies have shown that it reduces the risk of driving. There are steps that people with diabetes can and should take when driving a motor vehicle to avoid hypoglycemia (blood sugar) while driving. In contrast, Group 2 licensing rules have been relaxed for insulin-treated drivers who were previously prohibited from driving LCVs and PCVs. Drivers treated with insulin can now apply for a Group 2 driver`s licence, although medical fitness requirements are strict. They must report any severe hypoglycemic episodes, show no signs of impaired awareness of hypoglycemia, test their blood glucose regularly during driving hours, and provide an accurate diary. If you haven`t been diagnosed with diabetes, you can improve your diet and exercise regularly to lower your HbA1c levels. High HbA1c levels come from excess sugar produced when your cells have enough energy to function, so if you eat foods with less sugar and avoid overeating, your HbA1c levels will naturally drop. Your investigator will ask you if you have a history of diabetes or if you control high blood sugar levels with your diet, pills or insulin. They also screen you for other medical conditions that may be caused by diabetes and test your urine for the presence of sugar.
High blood sugar could damage many parts of your body and you may not even know it. Learn how diabetes can affect you from your brain to your feet. If you are not sure if your diabetes medications can cause low blood sugar, ask your doctor or pharmacist. (Sometimes very high blood sugar can make driving dangerous, but it`s not as common. Ask your doctor how high is too high to be on the road.) Most people with diabetes can drive safely. The exception is if you have a condition called hypoglycemia ignorance, which means that hypoglycemia hits you out of the blue, without warning. It can be especially dangerous for you to be on the road. If this happens to you, talk to your doctor.
You may be able to learn to feel low blood sugar. Road trip? Check your blood sugar at regular intervals during long walks to make sure it`s not heading for a low. Additional complications of diabetes can interfere with driving. These include problems with vision and diabetic neuropathy – progressive nerve damage that most often affects the legs and feet. This can jeopardize pedal control. Changes in managing your diabetes can also increase your risk of hypoglycemia while driving. These include changes in diabetes medications, exercise, meal times, or food intake due to travel, illness, and pregnancy. Failure to test blood glucose could have serious medico-legal consequences. In an earlier charge before the Scottish court, a driver with T1D was convicted of causing death from dangerous driving during hypoglycaemia and was heavily criticised for failing to measure his blood sugar before driving. In issuing his verdict, the sheriff highlighted the risk associated with diabetes and driving, stating that the privilege of a driver`s license comes with a responsibility to ensure safety by measuring blood sugar. It is important for healthcare professionals to ensure that the potential legal consequences if blood glucose is not tested in relation to driving are communicated to their patients.
Check your blood sugar. Before driving, make sure your blood sugar is at least 80 mg/dL. If it is lower, have a snack with 15 grams of carbohydrates. Wait 15 minutes and check again. Food and drink aren`t the only things that can raise or lower your blood sugar. Discover some surprising causes of blood sugar fluctuations. Your doctor will also test your urine for the presence of sugar. Cox DJ, Clarke WL, Gonder-Frederick L, Pohl S, Hoover C, Snyder A, et al. Accuracy of blood glucose perception in IDDM.
Diabetes care. 1985;8:529–36. Hypoglycemia is a common side effect of insulin therapy for diabetes in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes [8]. Experimental laboratory studies have shown that cognitive functions essential for driving (such as attention, reaction times, and hand-eye coordination) are impaired during hypoglycemia [5, 9]. Changes in visual information processing that occur during hypoglycemia can impair visual perception under conditions of limited perceptual time and low visual contrast (low light); It would also have a significant impact on driving performance [10]. Studies with a sophisticated driving simulator have shown that driving performance is impaired by moderate hypoglycemia, resulting in problems such as inappropriate speed or braking, failure to obey traffic signs and traffic lights, and failure to obey lanes [11, 12]. In simulation studies, driving itself required higher dextrose infusion rates to maintain normoglycemia, compared to passively viewing a driving video; This increased metabolic need in drivers may promote hypoglycemia, especially if their blood glucose is <5.0 mmol/L (90 mg/dL) [4]. The majority of driver`s license authorities in developed countries distinguish between people with diabetes who need insulin therapy to treat their diabetes and those who do not. This is mainly related to the risk of hypoglycemia associated with insulin therapy. Other hypoglycaemic agents, especially insulin secretogens, sulfonylureas and glinides, can also cause hypoglycemia, although they are rarely controlled in terms of driving performance. The recognition that the level of accident risk depends on factors other than insulin treatment has led licensing authorities to assess insulin-treated drivers individually.
In some countries, this has influenced changes in driving regulations that allow insulin-treated drivers who are free of complications and can demonstrate management practices that promote safe driving (e.g. regular blood glucose monitoring) to obtain a licence to drive large commercial vehicles from which they were previously excluded. This review focuses primarily on drivers who need insulin treatment for their diabetes. Controlling your blood sugar levels is important for safe driving. Make it a habit to check your blood sugar before you get behind the wheel – if you`re low, you might want to grab a snack before you start! Talk to your doctor about setting a target range for your blood sugar while driving. If you`re planning a long-distance road trip, be sure to set stops throughout the trip to check your blood sugar before hitting the road again. The most important thing about being on the go is that your blood sugar doesn`t fall too low. Stop and check your values when you start feeling: For many people with diabetes, driving is a central part of everyday life. People with type 1 diabetes and those with type 2 diabetes at risk for hypoglycemia should take steps to avoid depression while driving. Skurtveit S, Strom H, Skrivarhaug T, Morland J, Bramness JG, Engeland A. Risk of road accident in patients with diabetes mellitus receiving glucose-lowering drugs.
Prospective follow-up study. Diabet Med. 2009;26:404–8. To drive a commercial vehicle over 10,000 pounds (CMV), you must physically go through a DOT (Department of Transportation). DOT physically isn`t something to worry about, but if you have diabetes or hyperglycemia (or suspect you have it), you may have concerns about your ability to pass. These physical exams are necessary every 24 months, whether you`re preparing for your first or fifth DOT, it`s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the rules regarding diabetes and blood sugar levels. First, if you take insulin or medications called sulfonylureas or meglitinide to treat your diabetes, your blood sugar may be too low, called hypoglycemia. This can prevent you from focusing on the road and reacting to what`s going on around you.
You might not be able to see clearly, and you might faint behind the wheel. Bring snacks. Stock up on your car with snacks that contain fast-acting carbs in case your blood sugar gets too low. Try glucose tablets or gel, regular soda (no diet), and juice boxes or snack bars that won`t spoil if you leave them in the car. The factor that has been most consistently associated with an increased risk of RTD in people with diabetes is previous exposure to severe hypoglycemia; Severe hypoglycemia in the previous two years was associated with a four-fold increased risk of an accident [38, 41]. The driving problems included a variety of incidents, including troubling hypoglycemia while driving and another passenger who had to take over due to the driver`s disability. Adjusted for annual mileage, severe hypoglycemia, experience of hypoglycemia while driving, and history of ATR in the past two years were associated with an increased risk of motor vehicle crashes [38]. Stricter glycemic control (HbA1c of 7.4% (59 mmol/mol) versus 7.9% (63 mmol/mol)) has been associated with a higher risk of ART [38].