EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend regulation 50 of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 (“the 1996 Regulations”) in respect of Group 1 driving licences (principally cars and motorcycles) for persons with diabetes mellitus.
Regulation 2(2) and (3) of these Regulations are concerned with implementing paragraph (2) of the Annex of Commission Directive 2016/1106/EU (OJ No L183, 8.7.2016, p.59) (“the Directive”) amending Directive 2006/126/EC (OJ No L403, 30.12.2006, p.18) of the European Parliament and of the Council on driving licences (recast). Paragraph (2) of the Annex of the Directive replaces point 10.2 of section 10 (“Diabetes Mellitus”) of Annex III of Directive 2006/126/EC.
Regulation 2(2) of these Regulations amends regulation 50(4)(a) of the 1996 Regulations so that a Group 1 licence cannot be issued to, and must be revoked in relation to, a person who is being treated with insulin or another medication which carries a risk of inducing hypoglycaemia, if that person has experienced two or more episodes of severe hypoglycaemia while awake during the previous year, and the most recent episode occurred during the previous three months.
Regulation 2(3) of these Regulations amends regulation 50(5)(a) of the 1996 Regulations so that a Group 1 licence may be issued to an applicant who is being treated with insulin, if that applicant does not fall within regulation 50(4)(a). Such an applicant would also be required to fulfil the existing conditions prescribed in regulations 50(5)(b) and (c).
Regulation 2(4) of these Regulations amends regulation 50(6)(b) of the 1996 Regulations so that appropriate monitoring of glucose levels is sufficient to satisfy this prescribed condition and it is not limited only to blood glucose monitoring.
An Explanatory Memorandum and Transposition Note have been produced and are available from Safe and Sustainable Travel Division, Department for Infrastructure, Clarence Court, 10-18 Adelaide Street, Town Parks, Belfast BT2 8GB or online alongside this Statutory Rule at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr.