The Golden Fifteen Minutes After a Crash or Being Hit: General Traffic Accident Handling Procedures and the Importance of Medical Records

No one wants to need this article. But if you ride regularly every week, accumulating ten or twenty years, the odds of encountering a scrape, a dooring, or a collision with another rider on the riverside path are not low. The real problem is: in the first fifteen minutes after an accident, most people make a series of decisions that put them at a serious disadvantage later—and they have no idea they’re doing it at the time.

Important Notice: This article is a general compilation of information and does not constitute legal advice. For specific cases, please consult a lawyer or the relevant authorities. This article deliberately does not cite any specific statute numbers, fine amounts, limitation periods, or case numbers—these are subject to amendment and vary depending on the facts of each case. For any specific deadlines and procedures, please defer to the police, insurance companies, or professionals.

This article addresses general principles of thinking order: after an accident, what to do first, what to do later, and what absolutely not to do. Reading it once and remembering a few key principles is far more useful than searching online afterward—because at the moment it happens, you won’t be in the mood to look things up.

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1. Why “Judgment in the Moment” Is Especially Unreliable

In the first few minutes after an accident, your body is in a state extremely unsuited for decision-making:

• Adrenaline masks pain. This is an evolutionarily preserved mechanism: an injured animal must first escape the scene to survive, so the body temporarily shuts down pain signals. This means the “pain” you feel at the scene has no reliable correlation with your actual injuries.
• Concussion impairs judgment itself. People with mild concussions often feel perfectly clear-headed, just “a little dizzy.” This is the most dangerous characteristic of all head injuries: a person with impaired judgment cannot judge that their judgment is impaired.
• Social pressure pushes you to wrap things up quickly. The other party keeps saying “I’m in a hurry” or “It’s no big deal,” onlookers are watching, traffic is blocked—you’ll feel rushed to end everything.
• You’ll want to prove you’re fine. This is a natural psychological reaction, especially when the other party’s tone is firm. Many people say “I’m fine” at the scene to preserve dignity, not because they’ve actually assessed anything.

Understanding this leads to a core principle:

At the scene of an accident, don’t “assess”—just follow “procedure.”

Assessing your injuries, assessing fault, assessing whether to pursue the matter—all of that comes later, when you’re clear-headed, when you have professional input. At the moment, the only thing you should do is follow a fixed sequence and get through it.

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2. The On-Scene Processing Sequence

The logic of the following sequence is “irreversible things first”: lives are irreversible, on-scene evidence is irreversible, and the timing of documenting physical injuries is irreversible. As for fault attribution and compensation amounts, those are reversible and can be handled later.

Step 1: Assess the Risk of a Secondary Accident; Move Yourself If Necessary

The first thing is not taking photos—it’s not getting hit by a second vehicle. The most common tragedy at accident scenes is parties standing in the middle of the lane arguing and being struck by traffic from behind.

• If you can move, first confirm whether you, the other party, and the vehicles are in a position where they could be hit.
• If you have companions, have one person warn oncoming traffic from far upstream (in the direction of approaching vehicles). Note that the person warning must also stand in a safe position.
• At night or in poor visibility, this step’s importance increases significantly.

But note: moving your position and moving the scene are two different things. Moving your own body to safety is necessary; casually moving vehicles, sweeping up debris, or picking up a fallen bike is another matter (see Step 4).

Step 2: Check for Injuries; Call an Ambulance If Needed

General principles for assessing the injured:

• Are they conscious? Can they be roused?
• Is there obvious bleeding, deformity, or severe pain?
• Did they hit their head? (Any head impact or damage to the helmet should be treated as a head injury.)
• Is there neck or back pain? If a spinal injury is suspected, do not move the injured person unless there is immediate danger.

Calling an ambulance is not “making a mountain out of a molehill.” From a downstream perspective, the ambulance record itself is a time-stamped, neutrally sourced injury record that helps any subsequent process. When you’re hesitating over whether to call, the answer is usually yes.

Step 3: Call the Police

As long as there has been physical contact, someone has fallen, or there is any damage, enter the formal accident handling process.

Why calling the police matters, even if you think it’s minor:

What calling the police provides	Why it matters
Police attend the scene and produce a record	Creates a credible record proving the accident occurred
Scene diagram and scene photos	Your own photos may miss angles; police documentation is more systematic
Confirmation of both parties’ identities and vehicle information	Prevents the other party from leaving fake details or going missing afterward
On-scene procedures such as breathalyzer tests	These can only be done at the scene and cannot be done later
Analysis and assessment documents available afterward	Most insurance and dispute resolution processes require an official accident record

Common consequences of not calling the police: the phone number the other party leaves is a dead number; the other party later denies the accident ever happened; your injuries worsen later but you have no document proving the accident occurred; the insurance company asks for proof of the accident and you have none.

Do not agree to a private settlement on the spot and leave. At the scene, you cannot know your injuries, cannot know whether the frame has internal damage, and cannot know how much this will cost later. Once you accept a sum of money on the spot and verbally agree “let’s just call it even,” overturning that later becomes extremely difficult.

Step 4: Preserve the Scene

Before the police arrive, the scene should be kept as intact as possible. The principles for this step are:

• Don’t touch anything you don’t have to. Vehicle positions, fall directions, debris distribution, and skid marks are all key to reconstructing the accident.
• If you must move things due to traffic (e.g., blocking a main lane creating danger), take plenty of photos first, then mark positions before moving. Using chalk or whatever is at hand to mark wheel positions is common practice.
• Don’t clean up the scene. Shattered plastic, fallen parts, scattered water bottles—their positions have meaning.

Step 5: Document—and Document Systematically

This is the step most likely to be done haphazardly. It’s recommended to shoot in a fixed order to avoid omissions:

Suggested shooting order:

1. Wide shots (at least four directions): Stand back and capture the entire intersection/road section, the relative positions of both vehicles, lane configuration, and road markings. This is the foundation for reconstructing the path of travel.
2. Medium shots: The relative positions, distances, and orientations of the two vehicles.
3. Close-ups: Detailed shots of the damage—both parties. Your bike, the other party’s vehicle.
4. Ground: Skid marks, scrape marks, debris, oil stains, standing water, potholes, leaves—especially any road condition that could have caused a loss of traction.
5. Traffic signals and signs: Shoot the signals from your direction of travel to prove what you saw at the time.
6. The other party’s license plate: Clear, complete, and legible.
7. Environmental conditions: Weather, lighting, whether you were riding into the sun, any objects blocking sightlines (parked cars, trees, signage, construction barriers).
8. Your own injuries: Abrasions, bruises. Note that bruises often only become visible a day or two later—take another photo the next day.
9. Your gear: Damaged helmet, torn jersey, broken components.

Also record (dictating into a voice memo on your phone is fastest):

• Time, location (nearby street number or obvious landmark)
• Your direction of travel, perceived speed, what you were doing at the time
• Where the other party came from, when you first saw them
• Whether there were witnesses; if so, ask on the spot whether they’re willing to leave contact information—this is your only chance; once they leave, they’re gone for good

Step 6: Exchange Information

Information to record about the other party: name, phone number, license plate number, driver’s license information, insurance company and policy information (if the other party is willing to provide it). At the same time, give your own information to the other party—mutual exchange is the norm; refusing to provide it puts you at a disadvantage instead.

Things not to do at the scene:

• Don’t admit full fault on the spot. “Sorry” in Chinese is often just politeness, but in the context of accident handling, it can be taken as an admission of fault. Expressing concern (“Are you okay? Do you need an ambulance?”) and admitting fault (“It’s all my fault”) are two different things.
• Don’t argue about fault with the other party. Fault is not settled by arguing at the scene.
• Don’t accept “just sign this first.” For any document you’re asked to sign at the scene, read it carefully first; if you’re not sure, don’t sign.

Step 7: Seek Medical Attention—on the Same Day

This is the point this article most wants to emphasize, and it deserves its own section.

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3. Medical Records: The Most Easily Botched Part of the Whole Thing

I’ve seen too many cases like this: at the scene it feels like just a scrape, you go home, shower, sleep, your neck starts hurting the next day, your hand goes numb on the third day, and you only see a doctor a week later. Then every subsequent process becomes extremely difficult.

3-1. Why “Seeking Medical Attention the Same Day” Matters So Much

Because the value of medical records comes from “temporal continuity.” A record made on the day of the accident by a medical institution, documenting the chief complaint and the circumstances of the accident, establishes the link between “accident → injury.” But a record made a week later will be questioned: “What did you do during that period? How can you prove it wasn’t caused by something else?”

This isn’t to say anyone is acting in bad faith—it’s that any review process must rule out other possibilities. The longer the time gap, the weaker the link.

3-2. Things to Get Right When Seeking Medical Attention

What to do	Why	Common mistakes
Clearly state it’s an injury from a traffic accident	Gets the accident circumstances into your medical record	Only saying “I fell” or “I crashed,” without mentioning the accident
Report every discomfort	The medical record only documents what you say; what you don’t say doesn’t exist	Only mentioning the most painful spot, ignoring “a little dizzy” or “my hand is a bit numb”
Mention any history of head impact	Head injuries require specialized assessment and follow-up	Thinking “I wore a helmet anyway” and not mentioning it
Request a medical certificate	Almost every subsequent process requires one	Thinking you’ll go back later to get one, only to find the doctor has changed shifts and you need to register again
Keep all receipts	For completeness of costs and treatment records	Tossing receipts carelessly
Follow up as directed by the doctor	Interrupting treatment can be interpreted as “recovered”	Stopping on your own because you feel better

3-3. Red-Flag Checklist Requiring Immediate or Repeat Medical Attention

For the following conditions, do not observe, do not wait until tomorrow, do not self-assess—seek medical attention promptly or call emergency services:

Head and nervous system:

• Loss of consciousness, difficulty rousing, confused responses
• Repeated vomiting
• Severe headache that is continuous and worsening
• Weakness on one side of the body, slurred speech, unclear articulation, facial drooping
• Seizures
• Unequal pupil sizes
• A period of memory loss after the accident, or repeatedly asking the same question
• Becoming drowsy again after being alert for a while (this is a particularly dangerous pattern)

Chest and abdomen:

• Difficulty breathing, severe pain on inhalation
• Persistent abdominal pain, abdominal rigidity, severe pain on palpation
• Blood in the urine
• Pale complexion, cold sweats, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, feeling faint (may indicate internal bleeding or shock)

Bones and limbs:

• Obvious limb deformity, inability to bear weight, inability to move
• Pain along the midline of the neck or back
• Numbness in limbs, abnormal sensations, persistent coldness or paleness

Other:

• Deep wounds, foreign objects in the wound, inability to stop bleeding
• Wounds contaminated with dirt or unknown substances (tetanus risk)
• Fever, or wound redness, swelling, heat, and pain spreading days after the accident

This article cannot replace professional medical assessment. The above list is only to remind you that “these conditions definitely require seeing a doctor”—not for you to judge that “if none of these are present, you’re fine.” Any discomfort persisting for more than a day or two after a crash is worth having a professional look at.

3-4. Special Note on Concussion

Head injuries from cycling accidents have a troublesome characteristic: symptoms may be delayed by several hours to a day or two. And concussion can occur without loss of consciousness.

A helmet with obvious impact marks, or being unable to recall the details of the impact moment afterward, should both be treated as possible concussion. Until a professional confirms you can resume activity, don’t go back to riding, don’t lift weights, don’t stay up late, don’t stare at screens for long periods. The risk of another head impact during this period is far more serious than under normal circumstances.

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4. Overview of the Post-Accident Process

From the end of the on-scene phase to the true conclusion of the matter, there are usually several more stages in between. This section only provides an outline—for the specific application methods, required documents, and time limits, please confirm directly with the handling police agency, insurance company, or lawyer—these details change, and local practices are not entirely uniform.

4-1. Obtaining Official Records

After an accident is handled by the police, you can generally apply for records related to the accident. Generally speaking, there will be a preliminary analysis and assessment document, as well as more complete documents available for application later. For application eligibility, timing of availability, and required documents, please consult the police agency handling the case.

One thing to note: these documents are “preliminary” analyses and do not equal a final determination of fault. Many people assume it’s settled once they receive it, but it’s actually just one reference document among many in the subsequent process.

4-2. Further Clarification of Accident Fault

When the parties dispute fault, Taiwan has a dedicated vehicle accident assessment and review mechanism that can be applied for. Likewise, application conditions, fees, time limits, and procedures should be confirmed with the relevant authorities.

The concept to understand is: administrative fault determinations, assessment opinions, insurance claim fault ratios, and the final determination in judicial proceedings are four different things, and their conclusions may not be entirely consistent. This isn’t a flaw in the system—it’s that each is answering a different question.

4-3. Insurance Procedures

Whether it’s the other party’s insurance or your own, notification should be made as early as possible. Most insurance contracts have notification deadlines and required document provisions—details depend on your policy terms.

Common insurance-related issues in cycling accidents:

• Whether your existing coverage (e.g., certain injury protection) covers this situation
• What the other vehicle’s compulsory coverage pays for and what it doesn’t
• How to handle property damage to frames, wheelsets, power meters, bike computers, helmets, etc.
• How to claim lost income, caregiving costs, and transportation to and from medical appointments

This article does not expand on these details because every policy is different. This series has a separate article specifically on cycling-related insurance concepts and principles to understand before purchasing.

4-4. Settlement and Negotiation

Settlement is a very common way to close things out, but a few general principles are worth remembering:

• Don’t settle before your injuries have stabilized. You don’t know how much more this will cost or whether there will be lasting effects.
• Settlements are usually final. Once signed, seeking additional compensation later is generally extremely difficult.
• The wording of the settlement agreement matters enormously. How broad the scope is, whether it covers future potential developments—the difference is huge.
• Beyond the amount, first confirm your actual list of losses. Medical expenses, future treatment costs, lost work, vehicle and gear, transportation costs.
• If you’re unsure, have a professional review it before signing. The cost of one consultation is usually far less than the price of signing something wrong.

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5. Several Special Aspects of Cycling Accidents

5-1. The “Invisible Damage” to Frames and Gear

With car accidents, you can roughly gauge severity from the exterior. Not so with bicycles. Carbon fiber frames, carbon wheelsets, carbon handlebars, and carbon seatposts can look perfectly fine on the outside after an impact while their internal structure is compromised. The terrifying thing about this damage is that it can fail suddenly on your next high-speed descent.

• Carbon fiber components with obvious impacts should be inspected by a professional bike shop or the manufacturer, and replaced if necessary.
• Replace any helmet that has sustained an impact, regardless of appearance. The internal EPS foam is designed for single-impact energy absorption.
• Deformed brake levers, bent cranks, and misaligned rear derailleur hangers all need to be addressed.
• Document with photos: take complete photos of all damage before any repairs—after repairs, there’s no evidence left.

5-2. Your Data Is Evidence

Modern cyclists typically carry a host of sensors, and this data is highly valuable in reconstructing an accident:

Data source	What it can provide
Bike computer / GPS track	Your route, speed, and the precise time and location of the accident
Power meter	Your power output before the accident (e.g., can prove you were decelerating rather than accelerating)
Heart rate strap	Physiological response at the time of the accident (a sharp change can corroborate the moment of impact)
Dash cam / action camera	The most direct visual evidence
Phone health and fitness data	Can sometimes fill in the timeline

Key action: back up your data as soon as possible after the accident. Don’t leave it only on the device—devices can fail, be overwritten, or automatic syncs can fail. Copy the original files (e.g., FIT files) to a computer or cloud storage separately.

If you have a dash cam, immediately copy out and lock that segment of footage to prevent it from being overwritten by loop recording. This is the thing countless people regret most afterward. The value and limitations of cameras and footage in disputes are discussed in a separate article in this series.

5-3. Solo Crashes with No Third Party

When you crash alone with no other vehicle involved, many people think there’s nothing to handle. But there are still a few things worth doing:

• If the crash was caused by a road defect (large potholes, loose manhole covers, inadequately secured construction, oil on the road surface), take photos and record the location and time. This matters both for any claim you might have and for the riders behind you who shouldn’t crash too. You can report it through the relevant road maintenance reporting channels.
• Seek medical attention anyway. Collarbone fractures, rib fractures, and concussions from solo crashes are no less serious than from collisions.
• Inspect your gear anyway. Especially carbon fiber components and your helmet.
• Keep records—certain personal coverage may apply.

5-4. If You Are a Witness

One day you might be the person who happens to ride past.

• First confirm the scene is safe, then assist.
• Do not casually move an injured person with suspected spinal or neck injuries.
• Help warn oncoming traffic, help call an ambulance.
• Proactively leave your contact information with the parties involved. In Taiwan’s accident handling, witnesses willing to leave contact information are extremely rare, and this is often the only chance for a vulnerable road user to turn things around.
• If you have a dash cam, proactively inform them and preserve the footage.

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6. What to Prepare in Advance (The Part That Actually Reduces Losses)

Handling an accident well can only make the loss smaller. The preparation that truly matters is done before you leave the door.

6-1. Information on Your Person

• Emergency contact: Set up emergency information on your phone’s lock screen, or use the phone’s built-in medical ID feature. This is the first thing first responders look for.
• Medical information: Drug allergies, chronic conditions, current medications, blood type.
• Physical identification: Some people use ID bracelets, or stick a small note inside their helmet with their name and emergency contact number. When you’re unconscious, that piece of paper is worth more than any carbon fiber on you.
• ID documents: At minimum, bring your NHI card.

6-2. Gear Preparation

• Dash cam or action camera: Even if you don’t run it all the time, having it on for key sections is valuable.
• Front and rear lights always on: Reducing the accident rate itself is the best accident management.
• Waterproof phone pouch: A phone dying from water damage after a rainy-day crash is a very common case of adding insult to injury.
• Small amount of cash: A last resort if your phone breaks.

6-3. Mental Preparation

• Agree on roles with your riding partners: who warns oncoming traffic, who makes calls, who takes photos. Role division dramatically reduces on-scene chaos.
• Know your coverage: Don’t be making your first call from the ambulance asking “do I have insurance?”
• Save several numbers in your phone: emergency services, police reporting, your insurance company’s customer service, your regular bike shop, family.

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7. The Ten Most Common Mistakes

Mistake	Why it’s so damaging
Feeling “it’s fine” and riding off	Loses on-scene evidence, loses the same-day medical record, and the other party denies it later
Saying “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault” at the scene	May be taken as an admission of fault, and you don’t actually know the full facts yet
Not calling the police, just exchanging LINE contacts	The other party goes missing, fake information, no official accident record
Only taking close-ups of damage, no wide shots	Cannot reconstruct the path of travel; the most critical evidence is missing
Not asking witnesses for contact information	Once they leave, they’re gone forever
Waiting a week before seeking medical attention	The causal link between the accident and the injury is weakened
Only mentioning the most painful area when seeing the doctor	Other injuries don’t make it into the record, so they don’t exist
Signing a settlement before injuries stabilize	Settlements are usually final; subsequent costs are on you
Not photographing damage before repairs	Property damage cannot be substantiated
Dash cam footage overwritten by loop recording	The strongest evidence disappears on its own

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8. The Psychological Dimension After an Accident

This section is often skipped, but it’s extremely important for people who ride long-term.

After a crash, many people experience: excessive tension on descents, freezing at the sound of an engine behind them, not daring to ride the road where the accident happened, anxiety about group riding, or even not wanting to touch a bike at all. These reactions are normal—they don’t mean you’ve become weaker.

Some general suggestions:

• Don’t rush to prove you’re fine. Returning too early to high-risk situations (fast descents, large groups, heavy-traffic roads) can easily cause secondary trauma or another crash from stiffness.
• Progress gradually: Start with familiar, simple, low-traffic routes, such as safe riverside paths or closed circuits, then slowly return to general roads.
• Handle body and mind together. Sometimes “not daring to ride” is actually because the body hasn’t recovered; the instability from muscular compensation gets interpreted by the brain as danger.
• If anxiety persistently affects daily life (insomnia, repeatedly replaying the accident, obvious avoidance behaviors, low mood), this is something you can seek professional psychological help for, and you should. This isn’t weakness—it’s the same as seeing an orthopedist for a fracture.
• Talk to your riding companions. Taiwan’s cycling community is actually very experienced; you’ll find far more people have crashed than you’d think.

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9. Action Checklist

Do it now (five minutes):

1. Set up emergency medical information and emergency contacts on your phone.
2. Stick your name and emergency contact number inside your helmet.
3. Save in your phone contacts: family, insurance company customer service, your regular bike shop.
4. Find your policy and review the coverage scope and exclusions once.
5. Screenshot the “shooting order” and “medical red-flag checklist” from this article and save them on your phone.

The on-scene sequence (memorize it):

1. First remove yourself from the risk of a secondary collision
2. Check if anyone is injured; call an ambulance if needed
3. Call the police
4. Keep the scene as intact as possible
5. Take systematic photos and records; ask witnesses for contact information on the spot
6. Exchange information; don’t admit fault, don’t argue, don’t sign anything carelessly
7. Seek medical attention the same day; clearly state it’s a traffic accident, report all discomfort, and request a medical certificate

After the accident:

8. Back up all device data and footage; lock files to prevent overwriting
9. Take complete damage photos before repairs; have carbon fiber components and helmets inspected or replaced
10. Follow up as directed by the doctor; take additional bruise photos the next day
11. Notify insurance as early as possible and keep all receipts
12. Don’t sign a settlement before injuries stabilize; if unsure, have a professional review it
13. Seek help when psychological reactions persistently affect your life

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One more reminder: This article is a general compilation of information and does not constitute legal advice. For specific cases, please consult a lawyer or the relevant authorities. The article deliberately provides no statute numbers, time limits, amounts, or procedural details, to avoid readers using a potentially outdated web article to handle matters affecting their own rights. When you actually encounter this situation, seek professionals. This article’s only value is—helping you remember what order to do things in during those most chaotic fifteen minutes.

May you never need it. But if you do, may it help you avoid some unnecessary detours.

Related Reading

• How to Assess After a Solo Crash: Which Conditions Require Immediate Medical Attention, Which Can Be Observed, and the Red-Flag Signs of Concussion
• What to Do When You Encounter Someone Else’s Crash on the Road: Scene Safety, Reporting Procedures, and Why You Shouldn’t Casually Move the Injured
• Cycling Accident First Aid: Wound Care and Medical Assessment Principles for Road Falls
• How to Return After a Crash? From Wound Care and Concussion Warning Signs to Gradual Principles for Getting Back on the Road