[Medical certification for diabetic drivers in the selected European Union member states]

Abstract

There is in Poland an urgent need to set criteria and recommendations for medical certification of individuals working or taking up the job involving public safety, in which diabetes could have a particularly important and dangerous impact. In Europe, many countries have restrictions for diabetic drivers. Diabetes is identified as one of the medical conditions that may impair driving ability and thus drivers with diabetes must meet certain medical standards. The European Union legislation states that diabetic patients taking insulin are excluded from driving trucks, heavy goods vehicles, and buses, except for small trucks in "very exceptional cases". This directive is interpreted differently throughout the European Union. Several aspects should be taken into account when evaluating the current status of the medical certification: e.g., duration of diabetes, type of diabetes treatment, diabetes stability, hypoglycemias in the past, and diabetes complications.