Diabetic Driving & Low Blood Sugar

Driving a car, whether for long trips or on your daily commute, requires you to pay attention, think clearly, and react quickly. If a person isn't feeling their best, their ability to drive safely can suffer.

Of course, there's no reason you shouldn't follow the same rules of the road that everyone else does-as long as your blood sugar is in control. Because diabetes can cause episodes of low blood sugar that may impair driving, it's important for you to pay close attention to your health before getting behind the wheel.

Avoid Low Blood Sugar Behind the Wheel

Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, can make you feel sleepy or dizzy, blur your vision, or even cause you to lose conciousness.¹ That's why it's critical to make sure your blood sugar is within your target range when you're on the road.

Make sure that you:

Check your blood sugar before getting in the car-especially for long trips.²
Take your blood sugar meter and testing supplies with you when you drive.¹ Don't store them in the car, though, as test strips, insulin, and meters can be damaged by the extreme heat and cold that can occur in vehicles when they're parked.³
If you feel a low while driving, pull over immediately and test your blood sugar.²
Talk to your doctor about how often you should test while driving an extended amount of time-especially if you have a history of not feeling the symptoms of hypoglycemia.²
Try to plan your trips so you won't miss or delay a meal.³
Wear a medical ID bracelet or tag, just in case.⁴

If your blood sugar is low, eat a snack containing a fast-acting carbohydrate, such as juice, nondiet soda, hard candy, or glucose tablets. Wait 15 minutes and test again. Repeat as needed, and don't start driving until your blood sugar has stabilized.¹

¹ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and American Diabetes Association. "Driving When You Have Diabetes." Available at: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/olddrive/Diabetes%20Web/index.html (accessed May 5, 2006).
² American Diabetes Association. "Driving." Available at: http://www.diabetes.org/for-parents-and-kids/for-teens/driving.jsp (accessed May 5, 2006).
³ American Medical Association. "Safe Driving for People with Diabetes." JAMA Patient Page. JAMA 282 (1999): 806. Available at: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/282/8/806 (accessed June 7, 2006).
⁴ Joslin Diabetes Center. "Driving with Diabetes." Available at: http://www.joslin.org/775_1359.asp (accessed May 5, 2006).

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