Transportation labor urges fair treatment for diabetic drivers
Jun 16, 2006 6:14 PM
In response to a Department of Transportation request for
public comment, Edward Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades
Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), has and issued the following statement regarding the
medical qualification standards that would allow diabetic drivers to operate
motor vehicles in interstate commerce:
“Qualified drivers who treat their diabetes with insulin
deserve the opportunity to operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate
commerce. It is unfair to discriminate
against diabetic drivers by placing unwarranted and unjust obstacles in the way
of many qualified drivers when diabetes is such a treatable disease.
“Federal motor carrier safety regulations should reflect
the advancement of medical treatment for drivers with diabetes. Thankfully, Congress eliminated the
requirement that individuals with diabetes have three years experience
operating a commercial motor vehicle while using insulin in last year’s surface
transportation reauthorization bill. We
now call on the DOT to implement this change and to certify qualified diabetic
drivers as quickly as possible.
“Individual drivers with treatable diabetes should be
examined by a qualified physician with specific knowledge of diabetes who can
offer a clear assessment of their ability to hold a commercial driver’s
license. Drivers certified to safely
operate a motor vehicle should receive a license and perform without
restriction.
“Overall the health and safety standards applied to
commercial diabetic drivers must not be more stringent than those applied to
other drivers unless such standards are required to ensure safety. “
Acceptable Use Policy blog comments powered by Disqus
