Your Complete Guide to Car Accidents in Malaysia
Have you ever been in a car accident in Malaysia or know someone who’s had an unfortunate experience? The number of car accidents or road accidents as reported by the Ministry of Transport Malaysia has steadily increased to a worrying level from year 2010 to 2019. Looking at these numbers, it’s important to understand that no matter how cautious you are, accidents may happen. To ensure you manage the situation effectively, here’s a guide on how to manage a car accident in Malaysia.
- Check yourself and ensure your personal wellbeing. If injured, get assistance immediately.
- Gather information to report the accident
- Make a police report, if necessary
- Contact your insurance or takaful provider
Check Yourself – Main Priority in Any Car Accident
Before worrying about the situation or jumping out to check your car, take a minute to gather yourself mentally and emotionally. Stay calm and check to see if you have sustained any injuries. For severe injuries, it’s best not to move and call for help. For minor scrapes and cuts, take a deep breath and ensure your safety first. This means moving your car to the side of the road and informing someone you trust about the situation, including your exact location.
Gather Information
As a result of the shock from the situation, you may forget what information is needed from the other person involved. Here’s a list of basic details you will need to for your police report:
- Car details: number plate, colour, model and year
- Driver’s details: name, phone number
- Pictures of damage to report the accident
- Witness details: name and phone number, if any
- Terms of settlement with the other driver, if any
- Any additional details that may be helpful to the incident
Pro tip: keep this list in your car so you can be prepared and won’t have to worry if you’ve missed out on any of the basic details.
A Settlement
After assessing the damage to both your vehicles, come to a settlement on how you’d like to proceed. If the other person seems reasonable and the damage is minimal, you can opt to sort it out amongst yourselves. If the accident was your fault, keep in mind that it may be cheaper to pay for the repairs rather than make an insurance or takaful claim and lose your no-claim discount (NCD) benefit. However, ensure that any settlement reached is fulfilled immediately. This ensures you’re able to include all information in your police report. Do note that regardless of the settlement made, you would still need to make an official police report within 24 hours of the incident.
Contact Your Insurance Or Takaful Provider
This is a step that’s often overlooked but is extremely important, no matter how severe the accident is. By contacting your relevant insurance or takaful provider, you would be able to get the guidance you need to protect yourself in such situation. Even if you’re not seeking assistance or submitting a claim, file a report to your insurance or takaful provider anyway to ensure you get the best guidance on what to do next.
For immediate assistance, your coverage provider will be able to sort out your next steps. With Etiqa, this includes roadside assistance, towing, guidance on reporting, and locating the nearest repair panels or hospitals, based on your needs. (P.S.: Did you know you will also get free roadside assistance, including up to 200km towing with a plan from Etiqa?)
Here’s a quick way to understand why you should prioritise contacting your insurance company or takaful operator in the event of a car accident in Malaysia.
- Get physical help quickly – towing, repairs, or emergency coordination
- Get assistance with the next steps whether it’s making a police report, protecting your NCD, or locating panels
- Speed up claims – the faster you report the accident, the faster claims are processed
- Preserve evidence – fast reports ensures all evidence is available for verification
- Protect yourself against disputes – in the event of disputes later, you would have a paper trail ready
- Get guidance for more severe cases
In Severe Cases – Let Your Insurance/Takaful Company Guide You
Some accidents may involve serious damage, injury, third-party claims or legal matters.
In more severe cases, you may need further guidance on the claim process, documents required, repair assessment or next steps. Informing your insurance company or takaful operator early helps ensure that you are not managing the situation alone.
Making a Car Accident Report in Malaysia
Head to the nearest police station and file a report within 24 hours. Delayed reports can lead to a fine, policy penalty and rejection of insurance or takaful claims.
In your police report, you will be required to fill in the details of your car accident. Narrate the events clearly in the police report and an officer will take pictures of your vehicle as supporting evidence. If the other party refuses to make a report, don’t worry about it. As long as you’ve done your part and have provided the necessary details, the police will manage the next steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Prioritise your personal wellbeing and safety, document the incident, then contact your insurance or takaful provider and make a police report within 24 hours. They would be able to guide you with the next steps. With Etiqa, you can do this via the Etiqa+ app
Failure or delay in lodging police reports for car accidents in Malaysia may result in a fine of up to RM2,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or both (in the case of a first conviction) and a possibility that your insurance or takaful claims may be rejected.
Yes. Even if the damage appears minor, it is still a good idea to notify your insurer or takaful operator. Some damage may not be immediately visible, and circumstances can change if another party later decides to make a claim.
Contact your insurer or takaful operator as soon as possible. They can guide you through the next steps, help you understand what information is needed, and arrange assistance if required.
In most cases, yes. The earlier your insurer or takaful operator is informed, the sooner they can assist with documentation, repairs, claims assessment and any support services available under your policy or certificate.
Not necessarily. Reporting an accident allows your insurer or takaful operator to record the incident and guide you on your available options. Whether you proceed with a claim will depend on your situation, policy or certificate terms, damage assessment and other relevant factors.
When making a car accident report, you should be able to provide personal details of all parties involved, pictures of the accident, vehicle registration numbers, witness information, police report and a brief explanation of what happened.
Do not worry if you do not have everything yet. Your insurer or takaful operator can guide you on what is needed next.
By reading this, you’ve taken a step towards being prepared for unexpected emergencies. This is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your loved ones. Drive safe, be responsible and always, always wear your seatbelt.
The information contained in this blog is provided for informational purposes only and should not be expressly or impliedly construed as advice on any matter. Etiqa General Takaful Berhad and Etiqa General Insurance Berhad accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from reliance on information contained in the article.
The benefit(s) payable under eligible product is(are) protected by PIDM up to limits. Please refer to PIDM’s TIPS Brochure or contact Etiqa or PIDM (visit www.pidm.gov.my). | Member of PIDMs
