[Risk of accident due to hypersomnia: relevance for sleep medicine]

Hypersomnia is increasingly recognized as a potential causal factor for accidents. Information of the general public about scientific knowledge on the area of fatigue and sleepiness is, as well as the recognition and treatment of disorders impairing vigilance, an important task for sleep medicine. Fulfilling this task will warrant an important contribution to increase road safety. Sleep related disordered breathing is an example that shows the sense and the need for a qualitatively good medical care of patients with sleep related disorders.