SICT Boosts Road Safety with Medical Checks for Truck Drivers

The Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation (SICT) deployed the “Operativo 30 Delta” to ensure road safety during the busy Easter holiday travel period. Running from April 11 to April 27, the initiative involves the setup of 29 mobile checkpoints on highways and at bus terminals across the country to conduct in-operation medical exams for federal passenger transport drivers.

“These checkpoints are mobile and strategically located along high-accident-risk highways and at major bus terminals. They are always designed to protect the user,” says Guillermo García, Director General, Transportation Protection and Preventive Medicine (DGPMPT).

García explains that, with the support of the National Guard, these checkpoints are used to assess vital signs and ensure drivers are not fatigued or under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The exams include general physical checks, targeted interviews, reflex assessments, and evaluations of ocular and muscular responses to assess neurological function, psychomotor coordination, and cardiac health. If necessary, blood tests are also conducted.

If a driver is found to be under the influence of a prohibited substance, whether alcohol or drugs, they are immediately removed from public roads to prevent potential hazards. García says that traffic increases significantly during the Easter holidays, making these checks essential to reinforcing road user safety.

In addition to the medical exams, the initiative also includes inspections of federal transport vehicles to verify weight compliance, dimensions, and physical-mechanical conditions — an effort led by the Directorate General of Federal Motor Transport.