After a road accident, stop and check for danger and injuries from a safe position. Call 995 if anyone needs emergency medical or rescue help. Call 999 if immediate police assistance is needed. On an expressway, tell responders the road name, direction of travel and nearest exit, marker or junction. SCDF emergency services · SPF emergency contacts
Once people are safe, follow the separate reporting routes. SPF lists when a Traffic Accident Report is required. The Motor Claims Framework also directs motorists to report accidents to their insurer, including when they plan to settle privately. SPF traffic accident reporting criteria · GIA Motor Claims Framework guidance
- First → address immediate danger and call for emergency help if needed.
- Next → exchange particulars and record evidence when it is safe.
- Afterwards → check whether a Traffic Accident Report is required and report to your insurer.
On this page · Make the Scene Safer · Exchange Details and Record What You Can Safely · When Police Require a Traffic Accident Report · When to Tell Your Insurer · Frequently Asked Questions
Make the Scene Safer
Use hazard lights if you can. Keep children and passengers away from moving traffic and avoid standing between vehicles or walking into live lanes for photographs. If someone is injured, give the dispatcher the location and what you can see. Follow the directions you receive about approaching or moving an injured person. SPF Final Theory of Driving · SCDF emergency services
What to say if you are a passenger or witness
“We are on [road], going towards [direction], near [exit or landmark]. [Number] vehicles are involved. [Describe injury, smoke, obstruction or entrapment].” If you are unsure about the direction, give the last sign or junction you saw. A student who witnesses a crash can alert a nearby adult from safety while someone makes the emergency call.
Exchange Details and Record What You Can Safely
The Motor Claims Framework directs motorists to exchange particulars and note vehicle registration numbers. Take photographs only where safe and keep copies of relevant dashcam footage. Save the date, location, vehicle details and any witness contact provided. Ask your insurer about towing and its approved reporting route. GIA Motor Claims Framework guidance
If a child was in a school bus or ride-hail vehicle
Check where the child is and who is supervising them. Contact the school or operator through its official channel and ask about the confirmed handover point. If the child needs medical help, follow responders’ directions. A collector should wait where staff direct them and avoid blocking emergency access.
When Police Require a Traffic Accident Report
SPF lists a fatality, an ambulance taking someone from the scene to hospital, outpatient medical leave of three days or more from an accident injury, damage to government property, involvement of a foreign vehicle, a pedestrian or cyclist, and hit-and-run as reporting triggers. Check the SPF page for the complete criteria and filing route. If new information changes which criterion applies, contact SPF and update your insurer. SPF traffic accident reporting criteria
When to Tell Your Insurer
GIA says to report within 24 hours or by the next working day, even if you do not intend to claim. Contact your insurer to confirm its approved reporting centre or workshop and any towing arrangements. If you have also made a police report, retain its reference with the accident record. GIA Motor Claims Framework guidance
Frequently Asked Questions
Do minor scrapes still need an insurer report?
The Motor Claims Framework calls for reporting all motor accidents, including those you intend to settle privately. Check your insurer’s instructions promptly. GIA Motor Claims Framework guidance
Should I take a photo before calling 995?
Call for emergency help first if anyone needs it. Take photos only when it is safe to do so.
Is an insurer report the same as a Traffic Accident Report?
Each has a different purpose. Check SPF’s reporting criteria and follow your insurer’s reporting route. SPF traffic accident reporting criteria · GIA Motor Claims Framework guidance
Continue With the Singapore Emergency Playbook
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- Emergency Numbers in Singapore
- School Emergency in Singapore
Official guidance checked 8 November 2026.