The situation relating to car insurance for people with diabetes has improved greatly over the past few years. Most car insurance companies no longer penalise people with diabetes by charging higher premiums. If you feel that you are being discriminated against, complain to your insurance company. If you are not satisfied with their response, switch to another company. There are plenty to choose from and you can transfer your no claims bonus to your new company. It's a good idea to obtain at least three quotes.
When applying for car insurance you must declare all 'material facts'. Diabetes is a material fact, so you need to declare it.
The main danger of diabetes and driving is the possibility of having a hypoglycaemic episode (hypo), which could impair your judgement and lead to an accident. Although this is very rare, it can and does happen.
Your driving licence and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) – things to note
You are only required to inform the DVLA if your diabetes is controlled by insulin. You are not required to inform the DVLA if your diabetes is controlled by tablets or diet alone. But we always recommend that on first diagnosis you inform the DVLA of your condition. You will keep your full driving licence unless your diabetes is controlled by insulin. If it is controlled by insulin, you will be issued with a licence lasting 1–3 years. Further details about this can be found in the Driving section of the website.
Summary
- You are required to inform the DVLA if your diabetes is controlled by insulin. You could supplement this with a letter from your diabetes healthcare team detailing how good your diabetes control is. However, we recommend that everyone with diabetes – whether they use insulin or not – should inform the DVLA.
- In all cases, inform your insurance company of your diabetes immediately and at each renewal and inform them of any changes in your condition or its treatment.
- Challenge your insurer if you feel you are being discriminated against because of your diabetes. If you are still not satisfied, switch to another insurance company.