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ShareStaying Safe Behind the Wheel
Know the extra risks diabetes poses to drivers and the precautions they should take before they get behind the wheel.
Before You Drive
The threat of hypoglycemia means drivers on insulin or other blood glucose-lowering drugs have to plan ahead before they hop in the car, even for a short trip.
"It's essential for all drivers with diabetes to check their blood glucose before getting behind the wheel," says Mary Fortune, executive vice president of the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi. "I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes many years ago and still can't always tell if my blood glucose is low without testing. Anyone [with low blood glucose] shouldn't get into the car until after eating a meal or snack and checking that blood glucose has risen."
According to researchers at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, crashes and citations are twice as common among drivers with type 1 diabetes, primarily due to hypoglycemia. During a three-month study of 21 people with type 1 diabetes who had recurrent driving mishaps, researchers were able to lower the participants' risk profiles through more frequent monitoring and education about driving when blood glucose was below 70 mg/dl.
Checking blood glucose often and refraining from driving when levels are low are key components of driving safely when you have diabetes. Extra glucose testing may seem like a bother, but you can easily make it part of your routine.
"I drive 40 minutes to school each morning, so I have to get up early enough to check my blood glucose, eat breakfast, and then recheck my blood right before I turn the key in the ignition," says Alexa Painter, who has type 1 diabetes.
