Fitness to Drive in Narcolepsy

Abstract

According to projections by the World Health Organisation (WHO), road traffic injuries will be the third leading cause of global burden of disease and injury by the year 2020—in 50% of these accidents, the driver will be at fault. The main causes of death- or injury-producing accidents are excessive speed, alcohol consumption, inattention, and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Based on scientific data, EDS causes 10-20% of all those motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) caused by the driver himself. This figure surpasses the percentage of alcohol-induced MVAs. Unfortunately, the awareness of this important cause of MVAs is low, even in official statistics. Among the most difficult responsibilities of treating physicians is not only to diagnose and treat disease-related EDS, but also to counsel the individual patient about the fitness to drive. The question if narcoleptics may have an increased risk while driving has been addressed by only a few small studies in mostly untreated patients. The risk of lifelong MVA in narcolepsy patients is probably increased compared to the mean risk of a given society. However, under optimal treatment and by using effective coping strategies, the mean risk related to a given time period (e.g., a year) is probably within the so-called acceptable risk range. To gain better insights, larger and specifically designed studies are warranted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved). (create)