Re: I have a question

Seems obvious to me that all drivers, diabetic or not should only be allowed to drive when the risk of becoming incapacitated at a critical moment is acceptable.

Please don't say that "any risk is unacceptable" because that's plain and simple untrue. Any person, no matter what their priot health could suffer a stroke, heart attack, epileptic fit or whatever. I agree, the risk is small for most people, but it is never zero for anybody.

So the question to be asked is "is the risk acceptable?"

With a diabetic, the answer is more likely to be "No" but it is not always "No". Judging the extent of the risk is a difficult job, and trying to sit down and make up a comprehensive set of rules and guidelines is likely to fail. I think it falls on the individual person, and their individual doctor to make an assessment and a judgement. State licencing boards may pay a doctor to assess the risk. Some drivers may be forced to stop driving despite their confidence. Happens all the time to old, and demented people.

But if you're going to take the line that "any risk is unacceptable" then why stop at diabetics? Smokers have a much greater risk of stroke, so get them off the roads. People with high blood pressure -- the same. And people with panic attacks ... they might have one and crash the car. The list goes on and on. At some stage you have to decide when the risk is too great, and this is an individual thing.



" johnny@." <johnny@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:hgk334$tq2$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Should diabetics be allowed to drive?

I have witnessed 3 people go into a diabetic coma, and they can't seem to tell when it is coming on. They act like they are drunk, and are uncontrollable.

Passed out driver plows through Bartlett neighborhood

http://www.wmctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11705165

.

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