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Bill to Prevent Diabetics from Driving Buses

A proposal in the Illinois legislature  would prevent people with certain types of diabetes from driving  a school bus.

Studies  have shown that people with insulin-controlled  diabetes tend to get  into more crashes than other drivers. If  a person's blood sugar gets too  low, he or she can lose consciousness.

Such people are already barred from driving semi-trailers.

Representative Roger Eddy (R-Hutsonville) wants to take the existing restrictions on getting a  Commercial Drivers' License (CDL) and apply them to school bus drivers.

"You can't drive a semi full of stock product across state lines -- really  because of the federal laws related to this,” Eddy said. “But in Illinois the same type of restriction doesn't exist for a form of CDL that allows you to drive a school bus, and the product that you're  carrying is, you know, a child."

Eddy stressed the new law would not affect  everyone with diabetes. It would only apply to those who use insulin to control it.

Thanks to Illinois Public Radio

 

Rich is TSPR's News Director.