Traffic accident with a Malaysian vehicle.

On Saturday night, while driving home on the PIE, there was an accident on the lane I was in. As I always make it a point not to follow too closely the vehicle in front of me when I drive, I was able to stop my car in time although the wet road surface from an earlier downpour made braking more hazardous.

I was really pleased that my safe driving style paid off. However, that happiness lasted for only 3 or 4 seconds. There was a loud bang and I felt the impact as a motorcycle crashed into the back of my car. Sigh. I got out of my car and took a look. Argh! It was a motorcycle from Johor! Nooooo!

From being pleased, I became upset in a flash.

The motorcyclist was dazed and he probably cut his lips in the fall as he had blood on his teeth. His bike had a "P" sticker. A newly licensed rider. He looked frightened too and I later found out that the bike was borrowed from a friend.

I think I must have felt sorry for him and he must have have felt relieved that I did not scold him. He said he had tried to change lanes instead of braking but because traffic was heavy, he couldn't do it and ended up crashing into the rear of my car. He should have stopped his bike instead of trying to change lanes.

Anyway, I made a police report later that night at the advice of a friend. In any traffic accident involving a foreign vehicle in Singapore, a police report must be made within 24 hours of the accident.

Today, I brought my car to the approved workshop and my worst fear was realised. I would have to claim against my own insurance policy first because the other party is a foreign vehicle. It has to be so if I want to get my car repaired soon. There is no guarantee that the cost of repair could be recovered from the other party!

I would also have to pay an excess of $600 claiming against my own insurance policy. I bought an NCD protector. Otherwise, I would also lose my NCD.

Whenever I hear of accidents like this, I would always wonder why it is so difficult to claim against insurance policies of Malaysian vehicles involved in accidents here. In fact, I was told that it is almost impossible.

Singapore vehicles are not allowed on the roads unless they have valid insurance policies. The same should apply to foreign vehicles but if it is almost impossible to claim against their insurance policies, then, it is as good as being uninsured when they are in Singapore, isn't it? Then, they should not be allowed on our roads.

This reminds me of an accident here which I read in the papers some time ago involving a local female reporter. Her vehicle was the second last vehicle in a chain collision and the last vehicle was a van from Malaysia. She really suffered in the entire claim process which lasted months. I cannot remember clearly now but I think she had to bear all the cost in the chain collision as they could not track down the van from Malaysia.

These days, I always try to look on the brighter side of things. If I had not been able to brake in time, I would have been the second last vehicle in the chain collision and things would be more complicated now. I would have been in same situation as the female reporter mentioned earlier. So, I should count my blessings.

However, I am only human and cannot help but feel rather sad now...