What to do in a Minor Car Accident in Singapore

When driving on the road, you heard a "Bang" followed by a jerk on your vehicle. You turned around and discovered that another vehicle has collided into your vehicle.

This is the first time you are in this situation since you got your driving license. You feel extremely lost, not knowing what to do.

Being in a car accident is the last thing anybody will have at the back of their mind. Yet getting involved in a minor traffic accident something that could happen to any driver, whether it is your fault or not.

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If you are involved in a minor traffic accident, here is what you need to do at the scene:

Stop immediately

Stop and alight from your vehicle If it is safe.

If your vehicle is blocking the traffic, signal to the other party to stop at a safe location ahead instead.

Once stopped, assess if there is a need to call for ambulance. If you called for ambulance, take note that the police will automatically be notified. If the injury is minor, you can always go to a family clinic afterwards.

Whatever happens, you have to stop at the scene. If you failed to stop, then police will have classify the case as a hit-and-run.

Take pictures

Take out your phone and start snapping pictures of the accident. Snap the damages, positions, car-plate numbers of the involved vehicles and the road name too. It is also good to know if there are any traffic cameras nearby.

Taking pictures is important because this can help you in many ways. The pictures can help you prevent situation where the other party claims for damages which were not suffered from your accident.

Taking pictures will also help in the investigation, either by insurance companies or traffic police. Make sure your pictures are clear.

Exchange Particular

Exchange your name, contact number and NRIC number with the other drivers involved.

(If you forget this step, insurance company/police can retrieve the vehicle owner's particular through the vehicle car-plate number.)

Settle privately / Claim through insurance

All the parties will have to decide if you will settle the matter privately or claim for the damages through insurance. Settling the matter privately just means that the driver at fault paying the damages for the other party without using the proper channel (insurance company).

It is up to you to calculate the cost of the two options. Talk through with the other parties and come to a conclusion.

If both parties want to settle the matter privately, make sure the other party is trustworthy enough not to claim for the damages again through his insurance.

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After the accident, you may be wondering if you need to lodge a police report. However, not all traffic accident requires you to lodge a police report.

You are only required to lodge a traffic accident report (NP168) if the accident involved in any of the following:

1) 3 days MC - Someone who was involved in the accident was given 3 days (or more) MC from the doctors.

Other times, you may receive a letter from Traffic Police weeks later, asking you to lodge a police report. It could be that the other party seek medical attention after the accident and received 3 days (or more) MC in the process.

2) Pedestrian/Cyclist - Once you hit any pedestrian or cyclist, you are required to lodge a police report. Unless you are 101% sure that that person is well and not injured.

3) Foreign Vehicle - Any accident involving a foreign vehicle requires a police report. You may check with the driver if his vehicle is Singapore registered or not.

4) Government Property - Government vehicles; car-park entry barrier; lamp-post; road barrier; buildings, as long as it is a government property and it is damage, you are required to lodge a police report.

The most troublesome accident is with a government vehicle (police car, SCDF, Ambulance) as you may be required to stay at the scene for an extended period of time, not mentioning that you will still need to lodge a police report afterwards. Always drive carefully when Government vehicles are around.

5) Hit and Run - Anytime when a vehicle hit you and failed to stop, it is a Hit and Run. This could be a vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-pedestrian collision. Which is why whenever you collide into anything, always stop your vehicle and make a check. For this cases, police will always investigate into the matter.

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Questions Police or Insurance company may ask you

- Date, time and location of accident

- Weather and road condition

- Road's traffic condition

- Number of lanes on the road, which lane you were driving on

- The speed you were driving at

- Particular and contact number of the other parties

- Any camera around

- Be prepared to sketch the accident on a paper

If you are not sure if a police report is required, just proceed to any police station or police post to make a check.

For your convenience, you can even lodge the Traffic Accident report at home. Just go to the Electronic Police Centre (EPC), log in with your Singpass and start lodging !

On the other hand, If you wish to claim any damage through your insurance company. Make a call to your insurance company and they will guide you through.

Personally, I hope nobody would have to refer to this article. But if you do, I hope this article have helped you.

- kimi