The hours right after your crash
You have just been in an accident and do not know what happens next.
You do not need to work everything out at once. In the first hour, focus only on safety and injuries. Over the rest of the day, a small number of practical steps, taken roughly in order, cover what actually matters most.
In the first few minutes
Move out of the path of traffic if you can, and switch on hazard lights. Check yourself and anyone travelling with you for injuries, and call for an ambulance if anyone is hurt or unsure whether they are. None of the rest of this page matters until this part is settled.
Within the first hour
Once everyone is safe, exchange details with the other driver: name, phone number, identity card and vehicle registration. If you are able to, photograph both vehicles, the road, and anything nearby that helps explain what happened, covered fully in what to capture at the accident scene.
If anyone saw the accident happen, ask for their name and number now, since this is usually the only chance you get.
Within the same day
Go to a police station to make your report. Malaysian law expects this within 24 hours of the accident wherever reasonably possible.[1] See reporting your accident to the police for exactly what to bring and say.
Get checked by a doctor even if you feel fine. Adrenaline is very good at hiding pain in the first few hours, and some injuries only surface the next day.
By the end of the day
Write down what you remember while it is still fresh, in your own words, including anything that felt unclear at the time. Start thinking about notifying your insurer, though most policies give you a short window rather than demanding it within hours, as explained in reporting the accident to insurers.
Keep any dashcam footage safe before it is overwritten, using the steps in saving your dashcam and photo evidence.
What can wait until tomorrow
Vehicle inspection, detailed insurance paperwork, and any conversation about a claim can all wait a day. Rushing these before you have seen a doctor and made your report tends to create more problems than it solves.
Why the order matters
Each of these steps protects the next one. A police report supports your insurance claim, your medical visit protects your health and your evidence, and saved photos and footage support everything that follows. Skipping ahead, such as discussing a settlement before you have even seen a doctor, is one of the more common ways people weaken a claim without realising it.
Looking slightly further ahead
Once today’s steps are done, what to do after a road accident covers the fuller sequence over the following days and weeks, and making a road accident claim explains what a claim actually involves once you are ready to think about it.
Common questions
I feel fine. Do I still need to see a doctor today?
Yes, if the impact was more than very minor. Adrenaline commonly hides pain for hours, and some injuries, such as whiplash or internal bruising, only become obvious the next day or later.
What if the accident happens at night and the police station is far away?
Go to the nearest station you reasonably can, even if it means the report happens a little later than you would like. What matters most is going as soon as it is safe and practical, not finding a perfect option.
Should I contact my insurer within the first 24 hours too?
It is worth starting the process early, though most policies allow a short window rather than demanding it within the same day. The full detail is in reporting the accident to insurers.
What if I am too shaken to remember details clearly?
Write down whatever you do remember as soon as you can, even in fragments, since a rough note taken today beats a polished account reconstructed weeks later. Details naturally soften with time, not sharpen.
Is there anything I should avoid doing in these first hours?
Avoid discussing or admitting fault, and avoid posting about the accident anywhere online before you have had a chance to think clearly. Both are easy to do in the moment and hard to take back afterward.
Sources
- Road Transport Act 1987, s.52 (Ministry of Transport) (accessed 2026-09-22)