Insulin-treated diabetes and driving: what is the patient’s knowledge of current regulations?

Abstract

Our survey aimed to determine whether educational deficits exist regarding patients’ knowledge of current driving regulations. We surveyed 100 insulin-treated diabetes patients using questionnaires in October 2008. Fifty-eight were male and 42 female. Mean age was 52.9 years, mean duration of diabetes 15.1 years and mean glycated haemoglobin A_1C 7.5%. Eighty-nine patients (89%) had notified the UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and 79 (79%) their insurance company of insulin treatment. Sixty-five patients (65%) said they would consider checking their capillary blood glucose levels before each driving episode. The mean length of time patients said they would consider rechecking their capillary blood glucose levels during long journeys was 2.8 hours and the median time they will consider waiting before resuming driving after a hypoglycaemic episode was 45 minutes. The mean capillary blood glucose level that patients said they would consider safe to drive with was 4.8 mmol/L. Thirty-five patients (35%) said they were unaware that driving was not permitted for at least 45 minutes after hypoglycaemia had resolved. We concluded that there were deficits in aspects of patients’ knowledge of current driving regulations.