Exeter People with diabetes are unfairly being prevented from driving because of an unfounded fear that they will cause more accidents, a study suggests.

Type 1 diabetics, who take insulin to control their condition, are banned from driving lorries and vans, and in some cases other vehicles. They are judged more likely to cause accidents because they have an increased risk of hypoglycaemia, or low blood sugar, which can cause loss of concentration, physical impairment and blackouts if left untreated. However, a study by researchers at Peninsula Medical School, Exeter, published in Diabetes Medicine, found the rate of road collisions to be no higher among diabetics who controlled their condition with insulin than among non-diabetics. The charity Diabetes UK called for the law to be changed.

People with diabetes that is treated with insulin must, by law, inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency as soon as it is diagnosed. Those who take tablets for the condition and have a complication such as retinopathy must do the same.