ABSTRACT
The two main symptoms of narcolepsy are likely to impair the driving capacity of narcoleptic patients. Sleepiness and sleep attacks may cause a loss of awareness of the potentially hazardous environment and a loss of control of the vehicle. Cataplectic episodes although they do not cause a loss of consciousness may impair the ability of steering the vehicle. Higher order functions (judgment and risk taking) may also be involved. Therefore, it is rather intuitive that narcoleptic patients are exposed to an increased risk of traffic accidents. This intuitive knowledge poses two questions: first, is the intuition correct? Second, which steps can be or have been taken to protect the patients and the community from the potential risk related to their impairment?
