HC Deb 21 April 1998 vol 310 cc547-8W
Mr. Peter Bottomley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the relative involvement in injury crashes of drivers (i) known in advance and (ii) discovered afterwards to have diabetes. [39167]

Ms Glenda Jackson

[holding answer 20 April 1998]: In 1983, the then Senior Medical Adviser at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency reviewed police-reported accidents, finding that insulin-treated diabetes was responsible for 17 per cent. of 1,600 reported accidents involving collapse at the wheel in which the driver survived. An analysis of 100 of those accident cases revealed that 35 per cent. of the drivers had suffered from altered consciousness and 62 per cent. had suffered from complete loss of consciousness. More recent monitoring by the DVLA of information from the police and other sources revealed on average 10 road traffic incidents involving insulin-treated diabetics per month. In neither study is information available on the proportion of drivers who are discovered to suffer from diabetes after they have been involved in an accident or incident.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the numbers of drivers with diabetes, who(a) know and (b) do not know that they have the condition. [39168]

Ms Glenda Jackson

[holding answer 20 April 1998]: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency records indicate that some 100,000 drivers have advised that they have insulin-treated diabetes. The Agency has no information on the number of drivers with diabetes who either have failed to advise DVLA of their condition or are unaware of their condition.

Miss McIntosh

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list those member states which have obtained an exemption for insulin-dependent drivers from the EU Driving Licence Directive. [39032]

Ms Glenda Jackson

The Second EC Directive on Driving Licences (91/439/EEC) does not provide for member states to be granted exemption from its requirements in respect of insulin-dependent drivers.

Mr. Sanders

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many insulin-dependent diabetics have been informed to date by the DVLA that they can no longer drive Group C and D vehicles; and how many the agency plans to contact before the end of 1998. [39181]

Ms Glenda Jackson

Drivers whose licences are due for renewal are advised of this in advance by the DVLA. Where such drivers are insulin-dependent, they are being advised that they are no longer eligible to drive category C1 and D1 vehicles. Some 16,500 insulin-dependent diabetic holders of such entitlements have already been so advised. A similar number will be contacted before the end of the year.