What Should You Do in a Car Accident? (with video)

If you’ve ever been in a car accident, you’d know how stressful the entire situation is. You’ll be hit with a ton of emotions and worrying about what happens next.

There are a ton of steps to follow and things to take note of during this stressful scenario. Failing to follow these procedures might be costly as there’s a chance that you might miss vital information for insurance claims. 

And if this is your first time getting into an accident, it’ll be so much more worst and overwhelming. But that’s where we can help! Here are some steps you should follow if you get involved in an accident.

Scroll down to the end of this article to watch a video version of these steps!

Step 1 – Stop & Assess the Situation

When you get into an accident, stop the car, turn on your hazard lights and check if everyone’s okay.

If any one of your passengers needs medical attention, please call 995 immediately. Do not move anyone who is stuck or seriously injured as you might end up making the situation worse.

Keep everyone calm and patiently wait for help to arrive. In the unfortunate event that there is damage to government property, if the collision was with a car not registered in Singapore, or if it was a hit and run, you should also call the police!

Step 2 – Gather Evidence & Exchange Details

While waiting for help to arrive, proceed to gather evidence and exchange information with the other party.

Start by exchanging contact information like your full name, address, telephone number, NRIC, the licence plate of the parties involved and insurer details.

If the other party is driving a company vehicle, do get their company details and the contact information of their supervisor too. This is important because it is likely that you’ll be making an insurance claim on the company and not the individual. It also protects you from getting ‘scammed’ as the driver would not be able to ‘run away’.

You can gather these details by taking a photo of the other party’s IC or work permit, but do ask for permission before doing so.

Step 3 – Mental Notes & Lots of Photos

Next, take detailed pictures and videos of the damage done to your car, the damage on the other car and debris on the road.

Something that many drivers tend to forget is the accident area and weather conditions. So, remember to note down details like where it happened and how many lanes are there, the time and date of the accident and even the weather and road conditions when the accident happened. 

These pieces of information are super important as it will help you when doing up the incident report as it requires the reporting to be as detailed as possible.

Step 4 – Call Your Insurer!

After you’ve exchanged information and gathered enough evidence, move your car to the side of the road and call your insurer to inform them of what happened. They will guide you through the claims process and will often help you tow your vehicle to an approved workshop first. 

If you and the other party agree to a private settlement, you must still report the accident to your insurer as it is required by law. Remember that you will need to call your insurance company within 24 hours of the accident and if you fail to do so, your insurer might penalize you. These penalties can come in the form of losing your No-Claims-Discount, or even worse… your insurer might cancel or not renew your policy!

During this stressful ordeal, you should always remain calm and cooperative. No matter who is at fault, it’s important that the injured parties get the medical attention they need!