WHAT TO DO AFTER A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT IN SINGAPORE

An accident is disorienting even when you walk away from it. What you do in the first hour — and the first day — decides how smoothly your insurance claim goes, whether your No-Claim Discount survives, and how fast you're back on the road. This is the full playbook for riders in Singapore.

Step 1 — Get safe, then assess

Check yourself before the bike. Adrenaline masks injuries, so move deliberately. If anyone is hurt, call 995. If the bike can roll and you're able, move it out of live traffic and switch the hazards on. Don't stand between vehicles or behind a blind bend to argue about fault — evidence first, discussion never.

Step 2 — Photograph everything

Your phone camera is your best witness. Before anything is moved, if it's safe, take:

• Wide shots of the whole scene from several angles — include road markings, traffic lights and lane positions
• Every vehicle involved, with number plates clearly readable
• Close-ups of all damage, on your bike and theirs
• Skid marks, debris, and anything on the road that tells the story
• Your injuries, however minor they look

More photos beat fewer. Surveyors, insurers and lawyers all work off this evidence later.

Step 3 — Exchange particulars

Get from every driver involved: full name, NRIC, phone number, address, insurer, and vehicle number. Give yours in return. If the other party refuses to cooperate, don't escalate — their number plate alone is enough to identify their insurer and proceed with a claim. If they leave the scene without stopping, that's a hit-and-run: note the plate if you can, and it becomes a police-report case (below).

Step 4 — Know when a police report is required

Not every accident needs the Traffic Police. Per Singapore Police Force guidelines, you must lodge a report when the accident involves any of these:

• An injury — someone taken to hospital by ambulance from the scene, or given 3 or more days of medical leave
• A fatality
• Damage to government property — lamp posts, railings, signs, trees on state land
• A foreign-registered vehicle
• A pedestrian or cyclist
• A hit-and-run

File it as soon as possible through the SPF Traffic Accident Report e-service (Singpass needed) or at any police station. Outside those situations, you exchange particulars and report to your insurer — no police report needed.

Step 5 — Report to your insurer within the deadline

Under the GIA Motor Claims Framework, you must notify your insurer of any accident — however minor, and whether or not you intend to claim — by the end of the next working day. Crash on Saturday night, and Monday is your deadline.

Miss it and you risk having your claim prejudiced, your NCD cut, or your policy renewal loaded. This is the single most commonly missed step, usually because the rider "didn't think it was serious enough." Report it anyway.

Step 6 — Tow the bike and choose your workshop

If the bike isn't rideable, it needs a tow. Where it gets towed matters, because workshop choice depends on the type of claim:

If you're not at fault, you don't have to accept the other insurer's preferred workshop — you can have the bike repaired where you trust the work. Check your own policy terms before dismantling anything; a good workshop will check them with you.

Step 7 — The claim itself: what actually happens

1. Accident report filed — the GIA-style accident report and insurer notification go in, with your photos and particulars.
2. Joint survey, before dismantle — a surveyor (and for third-party claims, usually the other insurer's surveyor too) inspects the damage before anything is opened up.
3. Dismantle and second survey — hidden damage is documented once the bike is stripped.
4. Repair approval and parts — the repair scope and costs are agreed with the insurer; for injury or disputed third-party claims a law firm may handle recovery.
5. Repair and final survey — the finished bike is inspected and photographed after repair.
6. Settlement — the insurer pays the workshop (third-party and most own-damage claims), and you collect your bike.

A clean, photo-documented file at every one of those stages is what makes claims settle quickly — it's exactly why we photograph every checkpoint and compile the full report for the insurer.

Will you lose your NCD?

Reporting an accident doesn't by itself cost you your No-Claim Discount. What affects it is who the claim is made against: a successful claim against the other party's insurer (you're not at fault) generally leaves your NCD intact, while an own-damage claim usually reduces it — unless you have NCD protection. Failing to report at all is the worst option: insurers can penalise non-disclosure at renewal.

Documents you'll need for the claim

• GIA / insurer accident report
• Traffic Police report, if your case required one
• Vehicle log card
• Driving licence
• Medical certificates and bills — for injury claims
• Photos of the damage and the scene

You don't need everything on day one. If your bike is with us, you can upload each document from your phone through our claim portal as you receive it.

Quick FAQ

How long does a motorcycle insurance claim take in Singapore?

Straightforward third-party claims with clean documentation typically resolve in a few weeks; disputed liability or injury claims take longer because lawyers and medical reports get involved. The fastest claims are the ones with complete photos and reports from day one.

The accident was minor and we both agreed to forget it. Do I still report?

Yes. The Motor Claims Framework requires you to notify your insurer by the end of the next working day even for minor accidents and private settlements. It protects you if the other party changes their story.

Can I claim if I was riding pillion and got hurt?

Pillion passengers injured in an accident can generally claim against the at-fault party's insurer. Medical documentation matters — see a doctor early and keep everything.

What if my bike is still rideable?

You can ride it in rather than tow — but don't repair anything before the survey. Repairs done before the insurer's inspection are routinely rejected.

Do I need a lawyer?

For simple own-damage claims, no. For third-party recovery and injury claims, a law firm usually conducts the claim against the other insurer — we work with an established firm and arrange this as part of the process.