Superdrive Academy who are based in Salisbury specialise in driver training and one of the frequent questions they get messaged on their page is “can I learn to drive if I’m a diabetic“? The simple answer to this is yes you can.
They believe that having diabetes should not prevent you from getting on with your life as normal and this includes learning to drive. On average, they teach approximately 10-15 young adults per year who have been diagnosed with diabetes. Although some restrictions may be placed on your UK driving licence once you do pass your driving test, as long as you follow the rules from the governing bodies, then obtaining a driving licence is ok.
When they start teaching a new client, it’s important for them to know any medical history such as diabetes. They ask for this information on day one of them applying for driving lessons. They also ask them to inform us of any other medical conditions or any learning difficulties. The reason behind this is so that they can tailor their program of lessons to take into consideration either how they learn best or to also ensure that they can plan for any emergencies happening during a lesson such as a hypo.
In the case of teaching a diabetic student, they always ask the student to check their blood sugar level before attending their driving lesson. They also recommend them to bring their testing kit with them too so they can check their levels when we pull over to have a break.
Generally, once a person passes their driving test who has diabetes, the licencing authorities places a three year renewal on their driving licence. This means that there driving licence will expire after three years. In this situation, the licence holder then has to reapply for their driving licence. The licencing authorities will make a decision as to whether or not they will renew a new licence to the licence holder.
The authorities can make check with your doctor to see if they think your diabetes is under control and if it’s a no, then the licence holder will have their licence revoked up until a time that they can satisfy their criteria.
Get in Touch
Their advice, is to check your levels regularly and be sensible when it comes to driving with diabetes. Like mentioned above, you can still learn to drive if you’re a diabetic. Should you have any questions regarding learning to drive with Suoerdrive Academy about driving and diabetes, then please feel free to get in touch.
