From 1 June 08, all motor accidents have to be reported to the insurance company within 24 hours of occurrence or by next working day. The insurers will do the rest, from arranging for a replacement vehicle to making third-party claims. Should you fail to report promptly to your insurer, your claims may be prejudiced or even declined by your insurer. There is a penalty of deduction of 10% on the No Claim Discount (NCD) upon renewal of your policy. Even if you are new driver with no NCD given, you may not be awarded NCD in the subsequent years.
You should also report to the police within 24 hours if:
- There is a damage to a government vehicle or property.
- It involves a foreign-registered vehicle.
- It involves a foreign-registered vehicle.
- It involves a hit-and-run incident.
In case of accident, you should
- Exchange particulars of involved parties including Name, NRIC/FIN, Telephone Number, Address and Insurer. Take note of the vehicle numbers and take digital photographs of the accident vehicles and accident scene. You can send the digital photos via MMS to 97112758 on the vehicle number and date of accident in the format is <vehicle number>, <DDMMYY>.
- Call your insurer’s hotline for a tow truck or for further advice on the accident. Avoid all unauthorized tow-truck operators or repair workshops.
- Report and bring your accident vehicle (whether damaged or not) to the approved reporting centre/authorized workshop within 24 hours or by next working day. The centre/workshop will help to fill up the Singapore Accident Statement forms.
This move is seen by many to be effective to tackle the inflated claim by the motor car workshop. In simple cases, lawyers wil be kept out of the disputes as far as possible to contain the cost. Furthermore, non-injury motor claims disputes below $1,000 will now be addressed out of court - by the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (Fidrec).
So let's hope that motor premium will come down amidst the relentless inflation in the commodities prices.
Useful Contact Number
- AIG 24-Hour Hotline : 63386200
- AXA 24-Hour Hotline : 1800-8804741
- NTUC Income 24-Hour Hotline : 67886616
