Do you think driving laws are fair with regards to epilepsy?

[kostareyna]

I'm sorry you have continued problems with szs. I did understand, I just disagree given everyone's situation is different. Mine is not like yours, as others differ from both of us. You have to do what you feel is safe for you. My doc's opinion is that I am not a danger either in car or on motorcycle. I just believe it is not right to judge all given your situatioin alone, it's important to keep things in perspective, and not use a broad brush. I tell so few about my diagnosis because so many judge just based on the E word.

Tottaly agree with you about all the things you said.

I feel the same,never considered myself disabled,and hte rule about a year without seizures is not right ,if you got only myoclonic jerks and they always happen in the same moments on daily basis which you can avoid,or if you take medications that blocks them right away on the second day.Why would you even need to wait for a full year even if for copoule of months non of your known triggers won't be able to make a seizure

[valeriedl]

I have all the different types of seizures. Sometimes I just get a little confused and I have gone clear up to a grand mal.

This weekend my dad asked me to drive the lawn mower to him in the yard. I had a border line grand mal while driving it and almost drove it head on into a tree. Luckily my dad saw and came running to get it stopped in time and to get me off of it.

I had been seizure free for a month before this happened. I live in PA and you have to go 6 months here before you are aloud to drive, which I think is fair. Some people might think that if they made it a whole month then things should be good to go, but look at me.

[alivenwell]

Those laws will only be fair when we can operate our vehicle with the ability to have it take over our driving or give us freedom to go via gps to any place we wish to go. It would be a technical challenge, but it would definitely raise our quality of life.

Personally, I've enjoyed driving, but I also find walking to be a great stress buster. Driving alone can get stressful.

[Flex Herns]

In regard to New York State's law (have to go seizure-free for one year), I have mixed feelings about it.

Unfair - Restricts employment opportunities, lengthens transportation time, and restricts independence in suburban or rural areas.

Fair - (by my experience) Forces me to seek healthy, alternative methods of reaching destinations in urban and suburban areas, keeps me off the road should I become unstable (I've had two car accidents due to epileptic seizures in 2001 & 2005), and makes me find other adrenaline pumping activities (while I couldn't drive, I turned to paintball).

Whichever way you take it, driving laws are for the better whether I like it or not.

[alivenwell]

Driving has given me access to healthy places where they have organic food, three gyms where I workout regularly, an absolutely necessary drug store and a better escape from getting out of my routine routes and daily grind. The freedom is great, but all I need is one idiot without epilepsy to cause an accident. That damages my car, my freedom, my way to my job, a potential query by a police as to whether I'm guilty, higher insurance premiums if they still accept me, and a potential suspension of a license.

I do like to workout. Access to gyms helps me stay out of the heat for a stress busting workout. If weather isn't too cold or hot, I do take a regular walk outdoors. It's amazing how one can get a fresh perspective from that exercise.

I do walk to the grocery store with a basket. I live with the philosophy that if I cannot carry stuff around the store, then I probably cannot carry it for that mile back home. And, it limits me from buying excessive junk.
I do try to stay away from gluten, soy, preservatives, frozen dinners, sodium, caffeine, alcohol and artificial sweeteners. My health has dramatically improved from just doing that.

Our larger grocery store does do deliveries to one's home. I can shop on line and avoid the excess traffic, accidents and I do a lot of shopping on line.

The wild part of driving for several years is the perspective one gets and more interestingly how peers see a person with epilepsy who drives. I have people who now expect me to arrive early in the morning and act just like everybody else. I set alarms on my cell phone to take meds. I know that annoys others, but it's vital for me to take the meds and adhere to a strict diet. That diet restricts where I eat out at lunch. Others do not always understand that. They seem to think the meds cure the epilepsy. But, this is a lifelong lifestyle. That rude awakening of not adhering to this lifestyle may cause a seizure.

[Jake]

Bernard, good idea asking users to help fund the site, I just signed up.

I feel the driving laws are too lenient in many states especially ones with 3 & 6 month bans. In California it is 1 year unless you can prove the seizure was caused by your drug level being low and you get the right Driver Safety person to review your case..

My ex-neurologist refused to authorize my Dilantin blood level so I drove to my out of town GP to get one and on the way home I had a seizure. At the hospital my level was 2.9 when it was usually 14-15.

I was diagnosed with Epilepsy at 14 and have had it for 45 years now and got my first license when I was 34 and have lost it at least 6 times over the last 24 years.

June 30th last year we bought a new car. I got to drive it for 16 days before my license was revoked from another seizure. I'm seriously considering not driving again although my neurologist has said he would authorize me to if I wanted.

No one ever knows when when the next seizure might hit.

BB I recall us having a conversation re drivers, you do still think Calif has the best drivers don't you?

[stilldancing_98]

It is one year in Washington. But, that is not for everybody. For me, I will never drive. But I can't believe in some states you can't even ride a bike. That to me is way to crazy. It's like you are daily being monotored.

[Electra]

As far as driving is concerned, I am kinda afraid to drive anyway. I had to wait 6 months and now another 3 months because i have to take a higher dose to completely control the seizures or see if it will. Then I have to get another eeg. But there seems to be no definite answers. I have had migraines on the highway and had to pull over for 20 minutes. They can be dangerous on the road too, for me at least, as my eye sight goes patchy and i can't see anything properly. So if that causes an accident, I guess that's alright (being sarcastic).


Wally:
I have seizures in my sleep as well but lately they have been controlled by the meds. My husband hasn't complained about the movement etc...and I haven't bit my tongue so all is good. However, I have had small seizures in the day but they are not too bad (no worse than having a migraine aura) except for the fact I can't respond or move but I am lucky enough to be in my cube at work and i don't think anybody has seen me. I was on the phone one time when I got the surge in my head and then it started and I couldn't respond until it stopped so I managed to say "one second" to the lady as she was going on and on about something but I didn't know what she was talking about...I was so focused on what was happening to me and couldn't form an answer. Couldn't put words/info together. The lady on the phone hung up eventually which was a relief in a way. I felt a little bewildered when that happened but that's it. Other than that I feel great.

[lureswinger]

In the past I have had plenty of chances to sort out my driving liscence but I have always thought that if a myclonic seizure can make me drop and smash a cup on my kitchen floor then I'd far rather have the price of a new cup on my head than the thought that the same myclonic could easily of killed me or worse other people which is why I'd never bother with a driving liscence

[nicholasscott21]

I have nocturnal seizures and that has been the case since 2003 so I could claim my driving licence back, but apparently because I am on Clonazepam and quetiapine I would have to hand it back in again!

You need to be safe behind the wheel of a car and there are maniacs out there so do the right thing and hand in your licence- could you live with yourself if you injured or killed someone in an 'accident'?

Nick

[lureswinger]

Having said all this I'm sure that most of us epileptics would be better drivers than some of the plonkers that do have liscences

[libbyl]

better to be safe than sorry.intersting that this started after being hit by a car.

[stilldancing_98]

In WA I think its fair. just when I think I am doing really well tonic clonic wise bam! I have another. And I don't want to hurt anybody else. Some laws like about riding bikes I think are ridiculous.

[nicholasscott21]

Hi still dancing,

coming off of a bike can be dangerous. Perhaps we should sit in a big ball of cotton wall and then everybody is safe!

[Hand of Blood]

is it still 1 year u need to be free to drive? i dont drive but i really dont think thats long enough!

[Ruth]

I decided when I was 16 years of age not to drive. I do not want to hurt myself or kill someone in a car accident.

I am 68 years old and I have never regretted my decision. I still feel the same way.

[alivenwell]

At some point, technology will catch up with us. They are testing cars that have sensors, GPS, computers and other forms of technology which are able to drive a car. They may actually be able to override a human error, too.

[lureswinger]

Technologys latest ideas on self driving cars will be a great thing for people like us it will mean spouses like my wife can stay in bed (idle buggers lol) instead of being our taxi drivers it will be a great idea but we have a long way to go yet and the electric cars are a better greener idea but the oil companies are fighting tooth and nail to stop this as it all puts them out of buisness.
A few years ago a growth in bio fuel saved people a lot of cash until the ideas caught on with oil companies and goverments when all of a sudden the price of bio fuel suddenly trebbled and I am sure the price of electric will also do the same when more cars are powered by it let's just hope that there becomes a vast improvement in heavy water powered cars as that will save us all loads of dosh

[Ruth]

My husband does the driving in our family. He worries that since man makes the technology, they would still make inperfect cars. The technology would break down. Can a car with all of those gadjets know when to stop. Sometimes, a car stops suddenly in front of you.

It would be more expensive to fix a car with all of those computer chips in them.

[neil129]

Its a year over here too,i think it used to be two years,but even though im in a quite a remote area im not sure i could afford to drive,epilepsy or no bloody epilepsy.