Dear Ann Landers: I was upset by your response to the letter about the diabetic driver who accidentally caused the death of a young woman. He had not been monitoring his blood sugar and had been drinking the night before the accident occurred. You said there should be laws to protect people from drivers like this.
Passing a law against diabetic drivers would not solve the problem of accidents caused by non-compliant people. I am an R.N. in an emergency room, and I take care of many such individuals. Not long ago, I had an 18-year-old male brought in for the second time in a week because he suffered a seizure. This time, he was driving and ran into a tree. He was lucky he didn’t kill himself.
While the young man’s sister was standing by, I asked him why he hadn’t taken his anti-seizure medication. He said, “I didn’t feel like it.” I told him he was likely to have his driver’s license revoked. His sister replied, “He doesn’t have one.”
No law restricting his driving would have made any difference to this man. He doesn’t care about himself or anyone else. The same goes for drunken drivers who stay on the road despite having had their licenses revoked. Laws are no deterrent to people who have no respect for authority. So what’s the solution, Ann?
Clovis, Calif.
Dear Clovis: The lawbreakers should be dealt with promptly in a no-nonsense manner. For repeat offenders, jail time should be meted out. Lots of radio, TV and newspaper publicity may also help keep the offenders in line. Shame and public disgrace can be strong deterrents. I’m for using whatever works.
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From Midland, Pa.: Nice going, Ann. We diabetic drivers are a real hazard. I bet you could eliminate quite a lot of accidents by getting us off the road. And while you’re at it, Ann, why not pass laws to withhold licenses from the stupid, the rubberneckers, the animal lovers who drive with pets in the front seat, the elderly, the daydreamers, people who use cellular phones, women who put on makeup while driving and those who eat their breakfast or lunch while driving? And, hey–how about the idiots who try to read your column while sitting in traffic?
Give people with diabetes some credit. Sure, there are jerks out there, but just because someone has a hypoglycemic episode doesn’t mean we need another law. The majority of people with diabetes are well aware of their blood glucose levels and are very responsible.
Vernon, Conn.: My daughter and I were very disappointed in your response about the diabetic driver who accidentally killed a young woman. I hope you aren’t advocating different laws for diabetics than for the rest of the population.
My daughter has been a diabetic for eight years and will be driving soon. She is in excellent control of her diabetes. Like most diabetics, she can tell when her blood sugar is low and keeps a ready supply of sugar at hand. Diabetics are faced with many challenges, but they can do anything as well as a non-diabetic, including drive.
The problem with the driver in your column was not his diabetes but his irresponsible behavior. That driver was well aware of the steps he needed to take to prevent an insulin reaction, but he did not follow them. He was a menace to himself and others on the road. I say crack down on all irresponsible drivers.
Please don’t make life any more difficult for my daughter by making special laws targeting diabetics.
Dear Vernon and all who wrote: Message received and noted. Thanks for the well-deserved clop in the chops.
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