Health Update: Diabetic drivers

AT least a quarter of drivers with diabetes are breaking the law by not informing the licensing authority or their motor insurers about their condition, says a survey by Leeds University. Drivers who conceal diabetes probably fear their licences will be taken away and that they will have to pay higher insurance premiums.

Diabetic problems can constitute a hazard to road safety: hypoglycaemia, the abnormally low levels of blood sugar that occur in insulin-dependent diabetics, can cause dizziness, palpitations, confusion and visual impairment.