What to do before going on a road trip to Malaysia in 2020?

Are you Preparing for a fun road trip to Malaysia over the weekend? Great! But let’s see what you might need for a peace of drive.

Vehicle

Pre-drive checks is a must do before any trips.

Ensure you’ve got the right tyre pressure at least 2-3 days before the trip (just in case you need to arrange for a quick tyre change). Engine & Transmission oil changed/ topped up at least 1 week prior and your coolant and brake fluids all checked out. Better still, swing it by your dealership/ favourite workshop to avoid any possibility of being stranded with a flat on the highway.

Paperwork

Documentation is always important in any trips be it road or flight. So do ensure you bring along the original and have a soft or hardcopy stashed somewhere.

Important documents to bring:

Passport (with at least 6mths validity)
ID
Valid Driving License
Copy of Vehicle Road Tax (can be obtained & printed via OneMotoring)
Copy of Vehicle Log Card ( accessed with your SingPass under ‘My Vehicles’ via OneMotoring)
Copy of Valid Car Insurance Policy ( with the correct Insurer’s contact number)

Other important things to note/bring is:

Malaysian Currency ( you can always make a trip down to Mustafa to our favourite 24hrs Money Changer)
Credit/ Debit Card ( Don’t forget to activate your Overseas spending)
Cashcard ( for toll at the Singapore checkpoint)
Touch & Go card (for Tolls along the Malaysia Highway) : Read more Touch and Go card for Malaysia Highway .
Travel Insurance : You can buy travel insurance from Insurance Market . Insurance Market sells 35 plans from 12 insurers . You can buy single trip or annual travel insurance plan.Also you can decide to buy family plan instead of individual plan which are generally more cheaper.
Activate your Roaming Mobile Data for your Waze/ Google Maps

You might also want to consider setting up your ATM pin for your credit card in case you want to ‘Pay at Pump’ to avoid queuing up at each petrol stop. Do note that if you are using a Debit Card, there will be a holding amount of RM200- RM250 (bank dependant) to ensure that you have enough funds in the card where the balance amount will be released back to your account after 3-4days.

Come 1st October 2019, Malaysia is scheduled to kick in the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) scheme as reported by The Straits Times earlier this April. Foreign vehicles entering into Malaysia are required to register Online for their RFID tag. Singapore Cars are advised to do so earlier as it might take awhile to process your application. After your application has been processed, an appointment needs to be made to have your vehicle installed with the RFID in Malaysia.

More info can be found here.

In Car Entertainment

If it’s going to be short road trip up to Malacca/ Kuala Lumpur then you want to ensure that you’re nice and comfy for the journey of the car ride – especially if you have kids in tow. Designated driver should ensure that they have your route planned with petrol stops scheduled in as well. If you happen to be travelling through the night, you might want to have earlier petrol stops as some Malaysian petrol stations might be closed for unscheduled maintenance.

Also, it’s always good to have a designated backup driver for long drives in case Driver 1 is feeling the snooze. If you’re riding shotgun and you can’t drive, it’s nice to try your best to stay awake and keep your driver company with snacks, chatter and some good ol Country Road Car-Karaoke on your spotify.

Tissue, Wet Wipes, tidbits and drinks ( non-alcoholic of course) is never enough so go ahead and stock up at any of the awesome R&R stops along the North South Highway.

Everything sounds all nice and rosy cosy but Touch-Wood in the event of an accident.

What should you do?

What to do in the event of an Accident

First and foremost, stay calm and civil.

There are a lot of dashboard cams installed nowadays for same day social media uploads.

Also be mindful of your surroundings before getting out of your vehicle as there are incidences where it is a “staged accident” to get you out of your vehicle.

As with staged accidents, there are also syndicates running tow truck and even medical assistance scams where miraculously they will show up very promptly, in the middle of nowhere – right when you need them the most. And because you’re in a state of helplessness, you might give in to their exorbitant towing price etc.

On the extreme end, a staged accident can happen where either your belongings/ your vehicle is a target.

Either way, stay calm and vigil and all should be ok.

On the other hand, there are also alot of good Samaritans along the way. Many are more than happy to stop shoulder side to help you with a flat and even guide you to the nearby town for the nearest available help.

Similar to any accident in Singapore, always ensure you exchange particulars immediately with the other driver.

Take note of the time and take lots of pictures at the scene of the incident before moving the affected vehicle to the side of the road.

What many people forget is to take a picture of the Road Tax Disc of the other vehicle for claims and reporting purposes.

Depending on the type of accident, type of policy and the type of claim you’re going for, you might want to consider if you will be making a :

Claim for your own damage via your own insurance policy
Claim for your own damage via your own insurance policy without losing your NCD ( No-Claim Discount)
Claim against the other drivers insurer for damage to your vehicle
Claim against the other drivers insurer for damage for your own medical cost