LAST Friday, a police report was made at 10pm after two cars were involved in an accident in Bahau, about 60km east of Seremban.
It made into the news when two groups of men argued and fought over the collision. Three men were badly injured after being attacked with helmets and they were taken to hospital for treatment. In total, 10 local men were arrested and are being remanded until Feb 11.
Last year, road accidents nationwide averaged 53,000 cases per month or 636,000 for the whole year. They are so common that everyone should know how to handle them.
But not when logic is lacking and emotions are overwhelming, more so when following herd instincts.
Granted, those involved in a collision would normally point fingers, even by the person who knows that he or she was in the wrong, hoping the other party would admit to be at fault, either totally or partially. Starting with the blame game will only result in protracted arguments.
I have been driving for 56 years and had my fair share of accidents. Mercifully, I was not involved in heavy crashes or people were injured. Most of the collisions were the fault of other drivers and I claimed from my insurance company without losing the no claim discount.
When there is damage and if one party refuses to make or reject the offer for a private settlement, the recourse is to make a police report. The parties involved can then claim from their own insurance company or try to make a third-party claim against the other insurer.
All motor vehicles on public roads must be insured for third-party injuries and virtually all are covered for third-party property damage. There is no obligation for drivers to pay out cash compensation, as they could choose to make a police report for insurers to pay out claims,
Private settlement is a better option when the amount is low. For example, repairs that cost around RM800, it is wise to offer or accept RM400 as private settlement than for both parties to make a police report, as the party at fault normally has to pay a RM300 compound fine.
If people are injured, a police report is a must and the insurance company duly notified, as injuries that may appear minor initially may later take a turn for the worse. There have been cases when victims walked away after a collision, only to die of internal injuries later.
Should you be involved in an accident and no one is injured, tell the other party whether you wish to make a police report or private settlement and avoid pointing out how the collision could have been avoided, as this usually leads to arguments. Just cut to the chase.
To make a police report, the most important is the registration number and make of the other vehicle, plus the location, date and time of accident. You can then sketch a map and show the direction you were heading. There is no need to exchange or demand details from each other.
If I were to be involved in an accident that resulted in serious injuries, I could act very differently depending on location. If it is a remote area with hardly any traffic or people, I would stop and rush the injured to the nearest hospital, regardless of whose fault it was.
However, if I were to collide heavily with a motorcycle with or without a pillion rider in a populated or urban area, I will not stop but drive straight to the nearest police station, so that it would not be classified as a hit and run case.
For those badly injured in road accidents, it is safer for them to be professionally handled and transported by ambulance staff, as lifting them up crudely and squeezing them into normal vehicles could severely aggravate the injuries and can be fatal.
Even if the accident was not my fault, I will not hang around the accident scene explaining to others how the collision has occurred, as this will not be heard by bystanders further away. All they could see is the motorcyclist writhing in pain and me as the driver of the car involved.
It will not take long for one hot-tempered passerby to assume that I was at fault and start to assault me. When that happens, the crowd will quickly turn into a mob frenzy, and should I be beaten to death, many will be charged for murder, ruining their lives and their families.
I would rather be perceived as a hit and run driver than being highly irresponsible by staying put at the accident scene to explain my innocence, which is of no help to anyone other than telling others that I was not in the wrong.
No point for being dead right by being right but dead. – Feb 11, 2025
YS Chan is master trainer for Mesra Malaysia and Travel and Tours Enhancement Course and an Asean Tourism Master Trainer. He is also a tourism and transport business consultant.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image: Pexels/Kim Jinhong
