Trooper's widow sues truck driver, trucking companies

I'm not sure it would do any good to confront the driver unless you're practically willing to throw down a citizen's arrest. But my understanding is diabetes requiring insulin shots to maintain proper sugar levels is an absolute disqualifier for a medical certificate and as such that individual is illegally operating a CMV and the CMV's owner has a driver that is potentially a ticking time bomb.

Not sure what the answer is. We don't need a bunch of ill-informed drivers playing the roles of medical chief and CMV compliance police, but maybe that's where we're headed.

 

I understand that. Health records are a touchy subject. All this case will do is bring more scrutiny on our profession. Carriers and the government will want to know more and more as if they don't know enough about us already. Regulation will only get tighter.

 

When you have a person who takes a job driving trucks because he can't find any other work, which seems to be all too common these days in this economy.....or even if the person has always wanted to drive a truck and never even considered any other alternative....and now he's develops a medical condition where if he's honest about it, he might be forced out of the truck. What would you expect him to do? I can't say that I blame him at all for omitting certain information...he's got bills to pay and a family to support....and perhaps even a career that he LOVES.

...but I wouldn't recommend filling out the form yourself. That might have gone unnoticed in the past, but they are starting to check to see if the card is valid: http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=24643

 

Type 2 is not disqualifying if you have it under control. Not everyone changes their diet or takes their medication as needed. A type 2 can easily peg out their sugar to the point of coma or go hypoglycemic. You really don't want to be behind the wheel when that happens. When I was first diagnosed and green at diabetes I went hypoglycemic. My sugar dropped to 60 and I was semi comatose. It happened so quick I had no warning. Luckily I had my phone beside me and had my sister come rescue me. I couldn't even see the buttons. I just hit redial. I could imagine behind the wheel I'd probably went across the median.

Type 2 can be just as dangerous as type 1. Don't let that DOT physical mislead you.

Nah there are Type 1's with waivers. They demonstrated they know how to control it. I have a friend that's type 1 and he is in better shape than many without it. Eat right, exercise and use your medicine right and type 1's aren't even a problem. To be honest with you I don't see why there is a difference between type 1 and 2 as far as complications. The big difference is if the person takes care of themselves right. Many refuse to change their diet or don't know how. Those are the ones that have problems and croak.

 

Found this that is germane to the current thread ..
http://nrcme.fmcsa.dot.gov/mehandbook/insulin_ep.aspx

 

I fought with the very same thoughts. It took me about a year to come to grips and it isn't easy. Now I'm going to school and have new career plans. It's not the end of the world. Just a new one.

 

Condo, What type of classes are you taking now?
Hope it goes well as I have read your post from before when things kinda went south for you.
Best of luck with the new classes

 

Who knows, perhaps there vwill be a time in the future in which ALL drivers, (referring to regular cars on the road), will be required to have medical cards. I TRULY and GENUINELY hope it NEVER comes to this, however, one never knows.

 

This tragedy will of course result in several governmental agencies being reactive instead of proactive. It is unfortunate that we all probably know of someone who is unfit to drive but provide excuses for them: they have a family support, they are too careful to be a real danger, they would never drive unsafely, etc. I stopped doing that years ago when I realized (selfishly of course because after all I am a human) the people in the vehicles around me could be my family. Once that struck the fear of God into me, I have never once had a problem "counseling" another driver on their responsibility to the general public.