A minor knock in a car park or a bump on the PIE can turn into weeks of paperwork. Most of that paperwork goes more smoothly if the first half hour is handled well. Here is the order of things, from the scene to the renewal notice.
At the scene
Stop, and stay stopped. Leaving the scene of an accident is a serious matter, however small the damage looks. Pull over only as far as you safely can. The car is evidence until you have recorded where it ended up.
Make the car visible. Switch on the hazard lights straight away. On an expressway, traffic arrives fast and drivers may not expect a stopped car. If you carry a warning triangle, place it well behind the car. Then get everyone out on the side away from traffic.
Injuries come before bumpers. Check yourself, your passengers and the people in the other car. If anyone is hurt, call for an ambulance before anything else. Do not move an injured person unless they are in further danger.
Keep the conversation short. Stay calm and polite, and stick to facts. Avoid admitting fault or signing anything at the roadside. Fault is for the insurers to sort out, not for two shaken drivers on a road shoulder.
Think twice about a cash deal. Settling privately on the spot can look simple. The trouble is that hidden damage, or a sore neck, often shows up days later. Once cash has changed hands, it is harder to go back.
What to record
Swap details properly. Get the other driver's name, phone number, vehicle number and the name of their insurer. Note the make, model and colour of their car. If the driver is not the owner, ask for the owner's details too.
Photograph more than you think you need. Take wide shots showing both cars and the road layout. Then take close-ups of every dent, scratch and broken light, on both cars. Include the number plates, road markings, signs and traffic lights.
Save the dashcam clip. Many dashcams record over old footage on a loop. Lock or download the file before you drive on. A clear clip can settle an argument about who moved first.
Find a witness if there is one. A passer-by or another driver who stopped can be useful later. Ask for a name and phone number. Most people will not wait long, so ask early.
Note the small things. Write down the time, the exact place and the weather. Note whether the road was wet, the lighting was poor or the lane was closed. These details fade from memory within a day or two.
When the police come in
Know which accidents need a police report. Some accidents must be reported to the police, for example where someone is hurt. The rules on which accidents count, and the time allowed, are set by the Singapore Police Force. Check its site rather than guessing.
Keep the report reference. If you do make a police report, write down the reference number. Your insurer is likely to ask for it. Keep a copy with your photos and notes.
Reporting to your insurer
Report it even if you do not plan to claim. Most car policies require you to report any accident, claim or no claim. There is a time limit, and it is written in your policy wording. Missing it can cause problems with cover later, so check the wording now rather than after an accident.
Use an approved reporting centre. Insurers in Singapore generally appoint reporting centres where the accident is formally reported. The car is usually inspected and photographed there. Your insurer will tell you which centre to use and what to bring. Typical items are your licence, the vehicle log card details, your photos and the other party's details.
Do not rush to your usual workshop. Your policy may require repairs at an authorised workshop, or it may let you choose. Taking the car somewhere else first can complicate a claim. The difference is explained in authorised or any workshop.
Go to the insurer directly. Each insurer in Singapore runs its own claims process, and most of it is online. Claiming directly with your insurer is usually the quickest route. The claims page lists each insurer's claims link by type of cover. For a large or complicated claim, it also gives a way to ask for advice before sending it in.
Whose policy pays
Own policy or the other driver's. If the other driver was at fault, the claim may go against their insurer. If you claim on your own policy, your own excess and your own NCD come into play. Ask your insurer which route applies to your case.
Know your excess before you need it. The excess is the part of a claim you pay yourself. It varies by policy, and some policies set a higher figure for young or inexperienced drivers. Car insurance excess explains how it works.
How a claim affects your NCD
Understand what you have built up. The no-claim discount grows with each year without a claim. It starts at 10% after one year and rises 10 points a year to 50% after five. It belongs to you, not the car, so it moves with you to a new car or a new insurer.
See what it is worth in money. Take the example on the no-claim discount page: a 3-year-old Toyota Corolla Altis 1.6, comprehensive, with a 40-year-old driver. As listed on 22 October 2026, the lowest price was S$642.42 at 50% NCD and S$1,416.35 at 0%. That is a gap of S$773.93 a year.
Count the cost of one claim. Say a claim cuts the NCD from 50% to 20%, and it then climbs back 10 points a year. On the lowest prices listed on 22 October 2026, that works out to about S$825.02 more over the three years it takes to recover. How far a claim cuts the NCD depends on the insurer and on the claim.
Weigh a small repair against a claim. For a scraped bumper or a cracked light, paying the workshop yourself can cost less than claiming. Get a repair quote first, then set it against the lost discount. Remember that you may still need to report the accident even if you pay yourself.
Check whether you have an NCD protector. This add-on keeps your discount after one claim. Depending on the insurer, it is offered from 30%, 40% or 50% NCD. It does not stop the claim being recorded, and some insurers limit how often it can be used.
Afterwards
Keep one folder. Put the photos, dashcam file, police reference, reporting centre papers and repair invoices in one place. Claims can take a while, and questions can come weeks later. A tidy file saves a lot of searching.
Read the renewal notice closely. After a claim, the renewal will show your new NCD. Check that it matches what you were told. If you are comparing prices at renewal, enter the NCD you actually hold, not the one you had before the accident. The prices pages show how the discount changes the figures across insurers.
Car insurance through Shenton Brokers
Before you drive off or renew, get your car insurance through Shenton Brokers. See which cars cost least to insure, or look up your own model's prices from every insurer we compare. Or get a quote with your own details.