Stop, make it safe, call 999 if anyone is hurt, photograph everything, exchange details, and make a police report within 24 hours. That's what to do after a car accident in Malaysia, in order. Two things are easy to get wrong: letting the wrong tow truck take your car, and missing the police report deadline. In a rental car there's one more step: call the rental company before you agree to anything.
At the scene
- Stop. Drivers involved in an accident are required by law to stop, even after a small bump.
- Put your hazard lights on. On a highway, set a warning triangle about 50 m behind the car and get everyone out on the side away from traffic.
- If anyone is hurt, dial 999 for police, ambulance and fire. On the North–South Expressway the PLUS helpline is 1-800-88-0000.
- If it's safe to stand there, take photos before the cars move: where they ended up, the damage, both number plates, the road. Dashcam footage helps.
- If nobody is injured and the cars can still be driven, move them to the side, keeping left, so you're not blocking the road.
- Swap details with the other driver: name, phone number, licence number, registration, car model and insurer. Get names and numbers from any witnesses.
- Don't admit fault and don't sign anything. Bank Negara Malaysia's motor claims guide says the same. Be wary of anyone offering to settle in cash on the spot.
Keep your voice down and save the argument: the police report is where the facts go on record.
Tow trucks that turn up uninvited
Sometimes a tow truck arrives within minutes, before anyone has phoned for one. Don't let an operator you haven't checked take your car. Call your insurer's 24-hour assistance line (it's usually on your policy documents or in the insurer's app), ask for an authorised tow truck, note the operator's name and the truck's registration, and wait for that one.
The police report: 24 hours
Section 52(2) of the Road Transport Act 1987 requires an accident to be reported to the police within 24 hours. Reporting later without a valid reason is an offence, and that holds however the two drivers agreed to settle it between themselves.
Go to the nearest police station with your IC or passport, your driving licence, the car's details and your photos.
There is an online route, but it's narrow. Since September 2025 PDRM has accepted e-Reporting for minor single-vehicle accidents on the North–South Expressway where nobody is hurt and no other vehicle or public property is damaged, and it has said wider online reporting is planned. Check PDRM's current rules before relying on it; otherwise, go to a station.
If you're late for a good reason, a hospital stay for example, the police may still take the report. A late report can make an insurance claim harder, though.
Report even a minor scrape. If the other driver tells a different story next week, the report is what protects you.
Claiming on your own insurance
Bank Negara Malaysia's claims guide sets out the steps for your own car:
- tell your insurer within seven days and submit the claim as soon as you can;
- take the car to one of the insurer's panel workshops, which will get an adjuster to assess it;
- keep receipts for taxis or a replacement car, since some of those costs can be claimed.
If the other driver was at fault, ask your insurer if you can claim on your own policy anyway. It's often quicker than waiting on the other side's insurer.
In a rental car
The scene is the same. What changes is who you call next.
- Make everyone safe and call 999 if needed.
- Contact Grandpride straight away on +6010 322 3223, by phone or WhatsApp, and follow what we tell you CHECK: 24-hour accident and breakdown number for rental customers outside showroom hours.
- Don't book your own tow truck or repairs. We'll tell you how the car will be recovered CHECK: who arranges towing for a damaged rental car, and what the renter should do while waiting.
- Make the police report within 24 hours (the law puts that on the driver) and send Grandpride a copy with your photos and the other driver's details CHECK: documents Grandpride needs from the renter after an accident.
What it costs you depends on the protection you picked when you booked the rental. Every Grandpride rental includes Basic Cover, under which you pay for damage up to the standard excess. A Loss Damage Waiver lowers that excess; Grandpride Protection+ takes it to zero for damage and theft, glass and tyres included. Our guide to car rental insurance in Malaysia explains each level.
Gather your best evidence before anything happens: photograph the car at collection using our rental car inspection checklist, and read how to avoid rental car damage disputes for the paperwork side. If the car won't go and nobody hit anything, see what to do when a rental car breaks down instead.
Three habits that prevent the usual ones
Plenty of accidents here are small: a lane change into a motorcycle, a nudge in slow traffic, a skid in the rain.
- Check mirrors and blind spot before every lane change. Motorcycles filter between lanes.
- Leave a bigger gap in the rain; driving in the monsoon season explains why.
- Stay within the limits. Our page on speed limits and AES cameras lists them.
Berapa lama tempoh untuk membuat laporan polis selepas kemalangan? 24 jam, di balai polis yang berhampiran.
And if you'd rather not drive in unfamiliar traffic at all, a Grandpride chauffeur can be booked by the hour or for an airport run. For anything about protection before you rent, contact us.
