Are People with epileptic fits fit to drive?

Bala_R · 18th May 2009, 13:42

Dear friends,

I would like to narrate a small incident that happened a couple of weeks ago. I was driving my M800 in the bylanes of Vashi at around 07:15PM. Since sides of the roads were dug by Mahanagar Gas, two vehicles could hardly pass. Since one car was parked on the right hand side of the road, I waited for the cars from opposite direction to pass through. While I was waiting, one auto fellow was coming straigth towards my car from the opposite direction. As soon as he reached near my car, he bent down & the next instant, he came & banged my car & fell down from the auto.

I immediately got out of my car & saw that the auto driver was lying just in front of the bumper of my car & was bleeding from the head. I was scared. People gathered around & I feared the worst. Luckily, the passenger from the auto came out & told that the auto driver had fits & he fell down before hitting my car. You can imagine what would have happened if the passenger did not tell that the auto driver had fits.

Myself & the auto passenger immediately picked up the auto driver, put him on the footpath & made him smell onion. He did not gain consciousness, we poured water over his head & after around 10 minutes, he started speaking vaguely. We immediately took him to a doc nearby & gave first aid (cleaned his wound & put bandage). The doc refused to give any other medicine, saying that he did not know, the medical history of the patient & it could be dangerous.

Finally after some time, we bought him some juice & biscuit packets & took him to his auto, warning him not to drive till next day morning.

I can't imagine, what would have happened, if had got fits, while driving on the palm beach road or on any express highway.

arindamray · 18th May 2009, 18:17

Scary.
They should not be allowed.

prince_pervez · 18th May 2009, 18:26

Hmm, scary alright! If only there were symptoms to let one know when one it going to suffer a fit. If there are no symptoms at all, then might as well not take the risk, and risk others. Very sad. Really.

Nitin · 19th May 2009, 01:16

Definitely a dangerous thing. Glad that you were not injured in this wreck.

People with epilipsy probably shouldn't be allowed to drive.If they were allowed, it would be a good idea for have some indication of their medical condition (probably in the form of a display, in an auto/taxi) so that people might know what to do in case the person has a seizure.

I'd personally not have such people operating vehicles, even if it was a cycle.

deepclutch · 19th May 2009, 01:22

They May Drive Cars.But Keep One Other Person(ofcourse knowing driving) along with him/her.Not Every Epilepsy Patient faces the symptoms every now and then.

prince_pervez · 19th May 2009, 08:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by deepclutch

They May Drive Cars.But Keep One Other Person(ofcourse knowing driving) along with him/her.Not Every Epilepsy Patient faces the symptoms every now and then.

The situation will go out of and if the patient is driving at high speeds and during the fit does something which is not at all in his control. e.g. press the accelerator pedal or brake pedal. Forget high speeds even in the city this is a possibility.
I had a sad experience with such a person. He came up to me
selling magazines, and all of a sudden he threw the whole bunch down and
collapsed, stiff and stretched as a board.
I was very young then. I had no idea what was happening. I thought people would point fingers at me. Soon there were people gathered and they did some desi procedures to bring back the poor soul to conciousness.
Another man just passed out in crowded bus. No control whatsoever.
These are the 2 incidents which I have encountered.

I can understand the frustration of such a human being but...
I think we all need a medical opinion. Where are the docs gone, Tejas, SS-traveller.

Bala_R · 19th May 2009, 10:34

Since I was buys, I posted it short.

Once the guy was at the doctor's clinic, we both checked his pocket to find any contact nos. of his relatives, so that we can inform them. He did not have any mobile with him. In his pocket, we found a chit, which was issued from NMMC hospital, saying that this person has had epileptic fit symptom for the past 2 to 3 years.

We tried the nos. that were noted on some papers in his pocket. When we dialed one no. a lady picked up & we asked her, whether she knows the auto driver, she said that she knows him. We told her about the incident & asked her to come & pick him up from Vashi. The auto driver stayed at Mumbra. The lady told us that the auto driver would come back home by himself, but she did not tell whether she was his relative. Later we came to know from the auto driver that she was his sister.

After the doctor checked him, he said that this auto driver did not eat any food from morning & he was getting the acidic smell from him. The doctor immediately gave him some glucose.

Both myself & the passenger went to find out if we can get any auto, who can drop this driver at Mumbra. No auto fellow was ready to go to Mumbra. We both informed them that we would pay him return journey as well.

After all this, we decided that nothing can be done & left him in his auto.

You all can imagine, what would have happened to me if the passenger did not inform the auto driver had fits. The entire mob would hav thrashed me saying it is my mistake.

Consider this. If the auto driver was on some highway & he gets fit, if he dashes his auto against any other vehicle & he gets killed in the accident, the other vehicle driver will be booked for rash driving & culpable homicide for no mistake of his. I am not sure anybody will look into the case wrt. any illness of the auto driver.

Luckily, since the auto was very slow, there was no damage to my car. This is one incident that has scared me a lot. Even though we drive carefully, accidents can happen because of other's fault.

I just wanted to share this information with all of you.

deepakhon · 19th May 2009, 10:52

Contrary to all the views expressed here, epilepsy is a curable disease. One of my close relatives had it and had to take medicines for close to 3 years without fail. And she has not had a bout of it again in her life so far, touchwood. But, those medicines should be taken without fail, every single day, for about 2 to 3 years. And needless to say, she does barely remember that she had a stroke of epilepsy ever in her life. She drives, just like any other person. And she is cured...

deepclutch · 19th May 2009, 13:05

Hope Doctors in this forum knows better.Epilepsy may be controllable ,if not curable.It may be a born condition AFAIK.

tanwaramit · 19th May 2009, 14:20

thats really sad to hear of the auto guy, he is indeed stressing himself out even in adverse health conditions. However at the same time, there is a chance of risk to others lives.

There was a threat to Bala_R 's life for no fault of his, (thanks to the passenger) and as mentioned this could be a dangerous stuff on the highway, bridge anywhere.

Is there any requirement that a person has to fulfill before getting Drivers License (esp of commercial vehicle) to show that they donot have symptoms related to epilepsy or any other such problems ?

sgiitk · 19th May 2009, 14:29

I think in the UK they are not allowed.

prince_pervez · 19th May 2009, 14:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bala_R

Since I was buys, I posted it short.

After the doctor checked him, he said that this auto driver did not eat any food from morning & he was getting the acidic smell from him. The doctor immediately gave him some glucose.

How sad! Having known his condition he should have atleast eaten something.
I'm not surprised at this behaviour.
In bangy, almost every Auto driver has to give INR 150 to the
real owner of the vehicle.
Then there are daily, yes daily greasing
expenses of INR 50.
Then there is Pertol to fill. Average income
of all rick drivers is about INR 200 -220, I mean this is what he takes home everyday. So an auto chap cannot miss the rush hour need for customers.

Really sad! Sorry I have gone hopelessly OT.

paddy77 · 19th May 2009, 18:04

Hi, epilepsy can be diagnosed and treated, people have either minor or major epilepsy. Major epilepsy when the person falls down and stretches and has foam all over his face. Minor attacks is when a person is unconscious for 2-3 secs and suffers jerks but dosent fall and comes back to normal.

Yes its very dangerous when people with major epilepsy drive at high speeds or even for that matter drive. People with minor epilepsy dont have to worry that much as they can be cured in a few years.

gowda79 · 19th May 2009, 18:10

Poppy seeds is a banned substance in Singapore and if found in the baggage then the person has to cool his legs in the prison.

It is better stop this topic here and continue with the Thread

BenjiRoss · 22nd May 2009, 16:19

As a doctor this is what I will have to say:
Epilepsy is treatable, controllable and sometimes curable. Its just a medical condition.
HOWEVER, people with epilepsy should not work in situations where if they have a fit they could kill themselves not because of the seizure but due to injury. These include:
Working at heights
Swimming (especially alone)
DRIVING: It is extremely dangerous as a seizure can come without a warning. Also periods of stress like long drives, sleep deprivation and flashing lights can trigger seizures in some cases.
However a single episode seizures with a normal CT scan and EEG means a very little chance of recurrence of the seizure.
So if you have had a seizure it is better for you not to drive. If your seizures are perfectly controlled and either your medications are now stopped or if the doctor gives you the green signal, you can drive - but there is always a risk.
Delhi Traffic Police, New Delhi (India) - FAQs related to Epilepsy and Driving
The above link is useful but has a few flaws.

18th May 2009, 13:42	#1
Bala_R BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Navi Mumbai Posts: 59 Thanked: 26 Times	Are People with epileptic fits fit to drive? Dear friends, I would like to narrate a small incident that happened a couple of weeks ago. I was driving my M800 in the bylanes of Vashi at around 07:15PM. Since sides of the roads were dug by Mahanagar Gas, two vehicles could hardly pass. Since one car was parked on the right hand side of the road, I waited for the cars from opposite direction to pass through. While I was waiting, one auto fellow was coming straigth towards my car from the opposite direction. As soon as he reached near my car, he bent down & the next instant, he came & banged my car & fell down from the auto. I immediately got out of my car & saw that the auto driver was lying just in front of the bumper of my car & was bleeding from the head. I was scared. People gathered around & I feared the worst. Luckily, the passenger from the auto came out & told that the auto driver had fits & he fell down before hitting my car. You can imagine what would have happened if the passenger did not tell that the auto driver had fits. Myself & the auto passenger immediately picked up the auto driver, put him on the footpath & made him smell onion. He did not gain consciousness, we poured water over his head & after around 10 minutes, he started speaking vaguely. We immediately took him to a doc nearby & gave first aid (cleaned his wound & put bandage). The doc refused to give any other medicine, saying that he did not know, the medical history of the patient & it could be dangerous. Finally after some time, we bought him some juice & biscuit packets & took him to his auto, warning him not to drive till next day morning. I can't imagine, what would have happened, if had got fits, while driving on the palm beach road or on any express highway.
	() Thanks

18th May 2009, 18:17	#2
arindamray BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 750 Thanked: 91 Times	Scary. They should not be allowed.
	() Thanks

18th May 2009, 18:26	#3
prince_pervez Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Redwood shores, CA, USA Posts: 4,210 Thanked: 51 Times View My Garage	Hmm, scary alright! If only there were symptoms to let one know when one it going to suffer a fit. If there are no symptoms at all, then might as well not take the risk, and risk others. Very sad. Really.
	() Thanks

19th May 2009, 01:16	#4
Nitin Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 3,294 Thanked: 20 Times View My Garage	Definitely a dangerous thing. Glad that you were not injured in this wreck. People with epilipsy probably shouldn't be allowed to drive.If they were allowed, it would be a good idea for have some indication of their medical condition (probably in the form of a display, in an auto/taxi) so that people might know what to do in case the person has a seizure. I'd personally not have such people operating vehicles, even if it was a cycle.
	() Thanks

19th May 2009, 01:22	#5
deepclutch Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Muvattupuzha Posts: 1,165 Thanked: 162 Times	They May Drive Cars.But Keep One Other Person(ofcourse knowing driving) along with him/her.Not Every Epilepsy Patient faces the symptoms every now and then.
	() Thanks

19th May 2009, 10:34	#7
Bala_R BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Navi Mumbai Posts: 59 Thanked: 26 Times	Since I was buys, I posted it short. Once the guy was at the doctor's clinic, we both checked his pocket to find any contact nos. of his relatives, so that we can inform them. He did not have any mobile with him. In his pocket, we found a chit, which was issued from NMMC hospital, saying that this person has had epileptic fit symptom for the past 2 to 3 years. We tried the nos. that were noted on some papers in his pocket. When we dialed one no. a lady picked up & we asked her, whether she knows the auto driver, she said that she knows him. We told her about the incident & asked her to come & pick him up from Vashi. The auto driver stayed at Mumbra. The lady told us that the auto driver would come back home by himself, but she did not tell whether she was his relative. Later we came to know from the auto driver that she was his sister. After the doctor checked him, he said that this auto driver did not eat any food from morning & he was getting the acidic smell from him. The doctor immediately gave him some glucose. Both myself & the passenger went to find out if we can get any auto, who can drop this driver at Mumbra. No auto fellow was ready to go to Mumbra. We both informed them that we would pay him return journey as well. After all this, we decided that nothing can be done & left him in his auto. You all can imagine, what would have happened to me if the passenger did not inform the auto driver had fits. The entire mob would hav thrashed me saying it is my mistake. Consider this. If the auto driver was on some highway & he gets fit, if he dashes his auto against any other vehicle & he gets killed in the accident, the other vehicle driver will be booked for rash driving & culpable homicide for no mistake of his. I am not sure anybody will look into the case wrt. any illness of the auto driver. Luckily, since the auto was very slow, there was no damage to my car. This is one incident that has scared me a lot. Even though we drive carefully, accidents can happen because of other's fault. I just wanted to share this information with all of you.
	() Thanks

19th May 2009, 10:52	#8
deepakhon Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,441 Thanked: 65 Times	Contrary to all the views expressed here, epilepsy is a curable disease. One of my close relatives had it and had to take medicines for close to 3 years without fail. And she has not had a bout of it again in her life so far, touchwood. But, those medicines should be taken without fail, every single day, for about 2 to 3 years. And needless to say, she does barely remember that she had a stroke of epilepsy ever in her life. She drives, just like any other person. And she is cured...
	() Thanks

19th May 2009, 13:05	#9
deepclutch Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Muvattupuzha Posts: 1,165 Thanked: 162 Times	Hope Doctors in this forum knows better.Epilepsy may be controllable ,if not curable.It may be a born condition AFAIK.
	() Thanks

19th May 2009, 14:20	#10
tanwaramit Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Dilwalon ki Dilli Posts: 1,930 Thanked: 497 Times	thats really sad to hear of the auto guy, he is indeed stressing himself out even in adverse health conditions. However at the same time, there is a chance of risk to others lives. There was a threat to Bala_R 's life for no fault of his, (thanks to the passenger) and as mentioned this could be a dangerous stuff on the highway, bridge anywhere. Is there any requirement that a person has to fulfill before getting Drivers License (esp of commercial vehicle) to show that they donot have symptoms related to epilepsy or any other such problems ?
	() Thanks

19th May 2009, 14:29	#11
sgiitk BANNED Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Gurugram Posts: 7,969 Thanked: 4,787 Times	I think in the UK they are not allowed.
	() Thanks

19th May 2009, 18:04	#13
paddy77 BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: pune Posts: 80 Thanked: 0 Times	Hi, epilepsy can be diagnosed and treated, people have either minor or major epilepsy. Major epilepsy when the person falls down and stretches and has foam all over his face. Minor attacks is when a person is unconscious for 2-3 secs and suffers jerks but dosent fall and comes back to normal. Yes its very dangerous when people with major epilepsy drive at high speeds or even for that matter drive. People with minor epilepsy dont have to worry that much as they can be cured in a few years.
	() Thanks

19th May 2009, 18:10	#14
gowda79 Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 1,478 Thanked: 194 Times View My Garage	Poppy seeds is a banned substance in Singapore and if found in the baggage then the person has to cool his legs in the prison. It is better stop this topic here and continue with the Thread Last edited by gowda79 : 19th May 2009 at 18:11.
	() Thanks

22nd May 2009, 16:19	#15
BenjiRoss Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Tamilnadu Posts: 1,066 Thanked: 1,330 Times	As a doctor this is what I will have to say: Epilepsy is treatable, controllable and sometimes curable. Its just a medical condition. HOWEVER, people with epilepsy should not work in situations where if they have a fit they could kill themselves not because of the seizure but due to injury. These include: Working at heights Swimming (especially alone) DRIVING: It is extremely dangerous as a seizure can come without a warning. Also periods of stress like long drives, sleep deprivation and flashing lights can trigger seizures in some cases. However a single episode seizures with a normal CT scan and EEG means a very little chance of recurrence of the seizure. So if you have had a seizure it is better for you not to drive. If your seizures are perfectly controlled and either your medications are now stopped or if the doctor gives you the green signal, you can drive - but there is always a risk. Delhi Traffic Police, New Delhi (India) - FAQs related to Epilepsy and Driving The above link is useful but has a few flaws.
	() Thanks

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