Road accident - what to do?

Recently, I have seen quite a number of accidents on the road. Most of the time, especially on the Federal Highway, the call men or tow trucks will approach you right after you met an accident. The call men can be easily identified. They usually have their walkie-talkie with them.

For those who are panicky or unsure of what to do, they might get influenced by the call men and believe that they were there to help them. In fact, most of them were trying to take advantage on you!! Most likely they will tell you not to worry and they will assist you in towing your car to the workshop, making insurance claim and repair your car. End of the day, they might charge you for sky-high towing fees and so on... Hence, I think it is better to arrange your own tow truck, workshop and make your insurance claim personally.

I would like to share this article about “What to do in the event of an accident”. I think this is a pretty good article which teaches us the tips on how to handle the sitution after an accident.

The important points of the articles are as follow:

1) Safety First - Park your vehicle in a safe and visible place to avoid additional accidents or create a traffic jam. Remember to turn on the hazard lights to warn oncoming traffic of your position.

2) Attend to the injured - Determine if anyone is injured in the accident. Call for the ambulance and the police if there is any casualty involved.

3) Stay calm - Always avoid argument, dispute, or controversy. Instead, politely request for the following details:
~ Vehicle registration number.
~ Driver's particulars (name, address, contact phone number).
~ Precise time, date and place of accident.
~ The Insurer's name and insurance policy number (if possible) of the vehicles.
~ Details of witnesses, if any (name, address, contact phone number).
~ Details of injured persons, if any (name, address, contact phone number).

Extra tips from me:
In order to ensure that the phone number of the guy who knocked into your car was genuine, get him to send you a miss call. Thats what I did for the first time I met an accident. heheh!

4) Be careful - DO NOT commit liability or settlement.

5) Report the accident - Drive or tow your vehicle to the nearest police station from the place of accident and lodge a police report within 24 hours as required by law. Your vehicle need to be inspected and photographs taken by the police.

6) Towing & repairs - Arrange for your vehicle to be towed to a workshop for repairs. Check with your Insurer as they may have a panel of authorized workshop.

Extra tips from me:
Immediately call your insurance company for assistance. Most of the insurance companies do provide free towing services in the event of accident or car breakdown. So, you better check if your insurer is giving this free services and keep the emergency number in your car.

7) Notify your Insurer - Complete the Claim / Notification Form and submit to your Insurer as soon as possible even though you do not intend to make the claim, for protection against liability resulting from the accident, against yourself and your Insurer.

I hope this can help some of you. =)

Take care and drive safely.

*Cheers*