Road accident in Bamako: police report, insurance and injuries

Motorbikes, Sotrama minibuses, taxis and cars share Bamako's main roads and bridges, and minor collisions are common. After an accident, the official step is the report drawn up by the police or gendarmerie. This page follows the sheet on the government procedures portal.

Key points (checked on 18 October 2026)

• Who to contact: the Public Highway (Voie publique) division of the police station, or the gendarmerie brigade outside the city.
• Cost: free. Time: one week for the written record.
• If the vehicles are insured and there is only material damage, drivers are not taken into custody.
• If someone is injured, the criminal proceedings continue even if the parties settle.

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How the report works

1. One or both drivers contact the Public Highway division of the police station or the gendarmerie brigade.
2. A team goes to the scene, observes and asks about the circumstances: speed, traffic lights, brakes, the drivers' condition.
3. It assesses causes, establishes responsibility, takes the vehicles and drivers to the division and checks their papers.
4. Statements are recorded and vehicles examined; if someone is hurt, a medical examination comes first.
5. A written record (procès-verbal) is drawn up, registered and passed to the police chief, who forwards it to the judge. It is also sent to the insurers.

Minor offences with no injury or damage do not lead to proceedings: they are fined against a receipt.

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Documents to show

• driving licence;
• the vehicles' registration certificates and road tax discs;
• insurance certificates;
• roadworthiness tests;
• both parties' ID cards.

Driving without up-to-date papers complicates what follows, especially with the insurer.

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If someone is injured

According to the official sheet, when someone is injured, the criminal proceedings continue even if the parties reach an agreement. The case is treated as unintentional injury: the driver is brought before the prosecutor, their licence is sealed and the file goes to the public prosecutor's office. For treatment, see our page on Bamako's public hospitals.

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Frequently asked questions

Is an accident report free in Mali?

Yes: the official sheet says it is free, with the written record available within a week.

Will I be taken into custody after an accident?

Not when the vehicles are insured and there is only material damage, whatever its extent. If someone is injured, the driver is brought before the prosecutor and their licence sealed.

Can we settle it privately?

For material damage, the insurers receive the written record. If someone is injured, a private settlement does not stop the criminal proceedings.

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Official source (checked on 18 October 2026)

• Government of Mali, procedures portal, Road accident report (French): procedure, documents, cost, time, injury cases.