HYPOGLYCEMIA AND THE DECISION TO DRIVE A MOTOR VEHICLE BY PERSONS WITH DIABETES

Laboratory studies have shown impairments in driving performance among subjects with type 1 diabetes mellitus when their blood glucose (BG) level is between 2.6 and 3.6 mmol/L (47-65 mg/dL). However, there is little or no data examining subjects' decisions to drive at various BG levels during their daily routine. This research examined type 1 diabetic subjects' decisions to drive during their daily routine based on perception of BG levels compared with actual measured BG levels among 2 groups of patients recruited 2 years apart from 4 academic medical centers. All subjects were adults with type 1 diabetes who were drivers and who performed at least 2 BG tests/day. Subjects stated they would drive 43-44% of the time when they estimated their BG level to be 3.3-3.9 mmol/L, and 38-47% of the time when their actual BG level was less than 2.2 mmol/L. Logistic regression analysis showed that number of autonomic symptoms, degree of impairment on cognitive function tests, and BG level estimate predicted 76-80% of decisions to drive. Approximately 50% of subjects in each group decided to drive at least 50% of the time when their BG level was less than 3.9 mmol/L. Data suggest that persons with type 1 diabetes may not judge correctly when their BG level is too low to permit safe driving and may consider driving with a low BG level even when they are aware of the low level.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00987484
• Corporate Authors:

  American Medical Association

  Aging and Community Health
  515 North State Street
  Chicago, IL  United States  60610
• Authors:
  • Clarke, W L
  • Cox, Daniel J
  • Gonder-Frederick, L A
  • Kovatchev, B
• Publication Date: 1999-8-25

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 750-754
• Serial:
  • JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association
  • Volume: 282
  • Issue Number: 8
  • Publisher: American Medical Association
  • ISSN: 0098-7484
  • Serial URL: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Abilities; Adults; Diabetes; Diabetics; Drivers; Driving; Impaired drivers; Judgment (Human characteristics); Motor skills; Regression analysis; Traffic safety; Volunteers
• Uncontrolled Terms: Glucose; Hypoglycemia
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00791333
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 4 2000 12:00AM