Scooter Accidents in Bali: What Tourists Need to Know

I love getting around Bali by scooter, but I’m also very aware of how quickly a normal ride can go wrong.

I’ve had a few accidents myself over the years, and I’ve seen enough scooter accidents in Bali to know that what happens after the crash can sometimes be more confusing than the crash itself.

There can be injuries to deal with, damaged rentals, people asking for cash, insurance questions and sometimes police involvement. Knowing how this stuff generally works in Bali makes a stressful situation a lot easier to handle.

Hopefully, you’ll never need any of the information on this page in 2026. But if you do, at least you’ll know what to expect.

How Common Are Scooter Accidents in Bali?

Scooter accidents in Bali are pretty common. There were 8,498 traffic accidents recorded across Bali in 2025, resulting in 261 deaths and thousands of injuries.

Those numbers include cars and other vehicles, so there’s no count of scooter accidents specifically. Motorcycles do make up a huge amount of the traffic here, and it’s not unusual to come across the aftermath of a scooter accident while getting around Bali.

Tourists are involved as well. Bali Police recorded 142 traffic accidents involving foreigners in 2024, including 21 deaths, although again, those figures aren’t limited to people riding scooters.

The official numbers probably don’t capture every minor crash either. A tourist who drops a scooter, slides out on a wet road or has a small collision might simply visit a clinic and sort the damage out with the rental company without the accident ever being reported to police.

None of this means renting a scooter in Bali is automatically a bad idea. The bigger issue is experience, especially when someone who has barely ridden before decides Bali is the place to learn.

If you’re already comfortable riding scooters, you’re starting from a completely different position. If you’re still figuring out braking, cornering and controlling the bike, doing that while dealing with Bali traffic makes an accident much more likely.

💡 My Take: I use scooters myself and I’m not going to pretend they’re inherently terrifying. But I regularly see tourists riding who clearly have very little experience. If you’re not already comfortable controlling a scooter in busy traffic, I recommend using Gojek, Grab or a private driver instead.

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Where Do Most Scooter Accidents Happen in Bali?

There isn’t an official ranking showing which town specifically has the most scooter accidents in Bali.

Police data is generally published for all road accidents, but it still gives us a good idea of where crashes are being recorded most often.

In 2024, Denpasar recorded the highest number of road accidents in Bali, followed by Buleleng, Gianyar and Badung.

Area	Road accidents in 2024
Denpasar	2,114
Buleleng	1,252
Gianyar	1,163
Badung	1,030
Tabanan	1,027

For tourists, Badung and Gianyar are relevant because they cover many of the places where you’re most likely to rent and ride a scooter.

• Badung includes: Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, Canggu, Jimbaran and much of South Bali.
• Gianyar includes: Ubud, Tegallalang, Tampaksiring and many of the popular day-trip areas around central Bali.
• Denpasar includes: Sanur, Renon, and Denpasar City (Central Denpasar)

Denpasar is different again. It’s a proper city with extremely heavy local traffic and almost 1.5 million registered motorcycles, so its position at the top of the accident statistics isn’t particularly surprising.

The numbers also don’t mean Ubud is safer than Canggu or Seminyak is more dangerous than Kuta. There simply isn’t good enough town-by-town scooter accident data to make that comparison.

From my own experience riding around Bali, the roads that deserve the most attention aren’t always in the busiest tourist areas either. Fast main roads, narrow streets with blind entrances, steep mountain roads and unfamiliar shortcuts through villages can all catch riders out.

I’ve seen some terrible accidents out in the rural areas of West Bali where there is virtually no traffic, but because people assume it quieter, they also drive more carelessly.

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What to Do If You Have a Scooter Accident in Bali

If you’ve just had a scooter accident in Bali, deal with yourself and anyone else involved before worrying about the scooter.

Get out of moving traffic if you can safely do so and check whether anyone needs medical attention.

For a minor accident where everyone is okay, this is what I recommend:

1. Move somewhere safe. Bali roads can be hectic, so don’t stand in the middle of traffic arguing about a scratched scooter.
2. Take photos before moving the vehicles if it’s safe. Photograph the scooter, any other vehicles involved, number plates, damage and the surrounding road. A quick video of the scene can also be useful.
3. Exchange contact details. If another person or vehicle was involved, get their name, phone number and vehicle registration.
4. Contact your scooter rental company. Tell them what happened rather than arranging repairs yourself. They may want the scooter returned, collected or taken to a particular repair shop.
5. Contact your travel insurance. Do this as soon as reasonably possible if you’re injured, need medical treatment or expect to make a claim. Keep receipts, medical reports and anything else they ask you to provide.
6. Report a serious accident to police. This is particularly important when someone has been injured, there’s significant damage or there’s a dispute over what happened. You may also need a police report for an insurance claim.

If Someone Is Seriously Injured

Don’t try to sort out who damaged whose scooter first. Get medical help.

Indonesia’s general emergency number is 112, although availability and response can vary by area. Police can be reached on 110, and your hotel, villa staff or rental company might also be able to help organise assistance quickly.

If someone has suffered a serious head, neck or back injury, avoid unnecessarily moving them unless leaving them where they are creates an immediate danger.

Don’t Agree to Pay for Everything on the Spot

This is a very common scenario in Bali, especially if your accident involves a local rider or driver. They might as you to pay for the damage almost immediately, regardless of who was actually at fault. I’ve had these situations first hand.

Don’t feel pressured into handing over cash on the spot. Take photos of the vehicles and accident scene, exchange details and contact your scooter rental company first.

If there’s a disagreement about what happened, significant damage or someone has been injured, involve the police rather than trying to negotiate everything on the roadside.

Take photos, contact your rental company and involve the police if the accident is serious or there’s a disagreement. If you’re making an insurance claim, contact your insurer before agreeing to major expenses whenever circumstances allow.

⚠️ Important: Even if the scooter looks fine, get yourself checked if you’ve hit your head, lost consciousness or you’re experiencing significant pain after the accident. Adrenaline can make an injury feel much less serious immediately after a crash.

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Medical Treatment After a Scooter Accident

Where you go for treatment really depends on how badly you’ve hurt yourself.

Bali has plenty of clinics that can handle the usual cuts, grazes and road rash, while anything more serious belongs in a proper hospital.

Clinic or hospital after scooter accidents in Bali

Situation	Where to go
Minor cuts and grazes	Clinic
Road rash	Clinic
Small wound that needs cleaning	Clinic
Deep cut or heavy bleeding	Hospital
Suspected broken bone	Hospital
Head injury	Hospital
Loss of consciousness	Hospital
Severe or worsening pain	Hospital

Don’t ignore road rash. Coming off a scooter can push dirt, gravel and other debris into the skin, so even a fairly ordinary-looking graze is worth having properly cleaned.

What to take with you

If you’re able to grab them without delaying treatment, take:

• Passport or a photo of it
• Travel insurance details
• Phone and charger
• Payment card
• Details and photos from the accident

For anything serious, forget about gathering everything first and just get to hospital.

Paying for treatment

Private medical treatment in Bali can get expensive quickly, particularly if you need scans, surgery or admission to hospital. Contact your travel insurance as soon as practical and give the hospital your insurance details.

Some hospitals in Bali might ask for payment, a deposit or confirmation from your insurer before certain treatment continues. Keep every invoice, medical report, prescription and receipt you receive, as your insurance will likely ask for them later.

⚠️ Important: If you hit your head, lost consciousness or start feeling confused, dizzy, unusually sleepy or sick after the crash, don’t just go back to the hotel and see how you feel. Get checked at a hospital.

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Will Travel Insurance Cover Scooter Accidents in Bali?

It’s possible, but don’t assume that buying travel insurance automatically means you’re covered to ride a scooter in Bali.

Motorcycle and scooter cover varies considerably between policies, and some insurers require you to add it separately.

This is one part of your travel insurance policy worth checking before you rent the scooter, not after you’ve crashed it.

Check these before riding

Your insurer may require you to:

• Have a valid motorcycle licence for the scooter you’re riding
• Have the correct International Driving Permit (IDP)
• Wear a helmet
• Stay within an engine-size limit specified by the policy
• Purchase additional motorcycle or moped cover
• Follow Indonesian licensing and road laws
• Meet any separate conditions for riding as a passenger

For Australians visiting Bali, Smartraveller specifically states that you need an Indonesian licence or an IDP in addition to your Australian licence, and that the licence must be appropriate for the type of vehicle you’re riding.

It also warns that insurance can deny claims if you’re unlicensed or don’t hold the correct licence type.

Things that can leave you uninsured

Situation	Potential problem
No motorcycle licence	Claim may be denied
Wrong type of IDP	You may not be legally licensed
Scooter riding excluded from policy	No cover for the accident
Engine exceeds policy limit	Claim may be excluded
Not wearing a helmet	Claim may be denied
Riding under influence of alcohol or drugs	Claim may be denied

Alcohol is particularly worth paying attention to in Bali for your 2026 trip. Smartraveller warns that even a low blood-alcohol level can be enough for your insurance to reject a claim, depending on the policy.

And don’t assume that because the rental shop happily handed you the keys, you’re legally licensed or insured. The rental company renting you a scooter and your travel insurance agreeing to cover you are two completely different things.

💡 My Advice: Before renting a scooter, open your insurance policy and search for “motorcycle”, “motorbike”, “moped” and “scooter”. Check the licence, IDP, helmet and engine-size requirements. Five minutes reading the fine print is considerably better than discovering an exclusion from a hospital bed.

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What Happens If You Damage a Rental Scooter?

If you damage a rental scooter in Bali, don’t automatically assume you’re going to be charged for a brand-new bike. What happens next depends on how badly it’s damaged, your rental agreement and whether the scooter has any insurance.

For minor damage, it’s usually fairly simple. Contact the rental company, send them photos and let them know what happened. They might ask you to bring the scooter back, send someone to inspect it or arrange repairs themselves.

Here’s what could happen

These are the possible scenarios you’ll have with your rental company when it comes to scooter accidents in Bali:

• Minor scratches or broken parts: You pay for the repair or replacement of the damaged parts. This could be something relatively small such as a mirror, indicator, lever or body panel.
• The scooter can still be ridden: The rental company may swap it for another scooter and deal with the repairs separately. You’ll then settle the damage bill with them.
• The scooter can’t be ridden: They’ll normally arrange to have it collected or towed. You may be responsible for the recovery cost as well as repairs.
• The rental includes damage insurance: Some rental companies offer their own insurance or damage cover. Depending on the terms, you may only pay an excess or the portion of the damage that isn’t covered.
• There’s no damage insurance: You could be responsible for the full repair bill. This is why it’s worth finding out exactly what is and isn’t covered when you rent the scooter.
• The scooter is badly damaged or written off: This is where things can get expensive. Depending on the rental agreement, you could be asked to contribute towards or pay the replacement value of the scooter.
• The rental company keeps your deposit: If you paid a security deposit, they may deduct the repair costs from it and return whatever is left.
• You disagree with the repair bill: Ask for an itemised breakdown or repair quote. If someone is asking for several million rupiah, you should know exactly what you’re paying for rather than accepting a number pulled out of thin air.

Take photos or a quick video of the scooter before your first ride. Get both sides, the front and rear, mirrors and close-ups of any existing scratches or cracked panels.

If the rental company later says you caused damage that was already there, you’ve got something showing the condition of the scooter when you received it.

💡 My Advice: Don’t try to quietly repair a damaged rental scooter yourself before returning it. Contact the rental company first and let them decide how they want it handled. A cheap repair at a random workshop can create an even bigger argument when you return the bike.

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What If Another Vehicle Caused the Accident?

I’ve been in scooter accidents in Bali myself, and this is where things can get a little messy.

Just because the other person caused the accident doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to accept responsibility and pay for everything.

In fact, if the accident involves a local rider or driver, don’t be surprised if you’re asked for money almost immediately.

I’ve had this happen myself, including situations where I definitely didn’t consider myself responsible for what happened.

Before Anyone Starts Talking About Money

Do these first:

• Take photos of both vehicles and all damage
• Photograph the number plates
• Get photos or video of where the accident happened
• Get the other person’s phone number
• Get details from any useful witnesses
• Call your scooter rental company

Your rental company can be really useful here. They can speak directly with the other driver, explain what’s happening in Bahasa Indonesia and help deal with the damage to their scooter.

If They Immediately Ask You to Pay

Don’t panic and don’t pull out your wallet just because someone throws a number at you.

Ask what you’re supposedly paying for. If they’re claiming damage to their scooter or car, look at it and photograph it. Don’t agree to pay for damage you haven’t even seen.

And don’t admit fault simply because you want the whole thing over with.

If Everyone Starts Arguing About Who Caused It

This can go around in circles pretty quickly.

If nobody is injured and the damage is minor, you may be able to work something out between yourselves. I’ve seen situations where both sides simply agree to deal with their own damage and leave it there.

If there’s serious damage, an injury, a large amount of money being demanded or the situation is getting heated, that’s when I’d get the police involved.

💡 From Experience: The biggest mistake is getting flustered because you’re the foreigner and immediately agreeing to pay. Take photos, call your rental company and work out what’s actually happened first. Money can be sorted out afterwards.

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What If You Hit Someone in Bali?

If you’re the one who caused the accident, stop and check that everyone is okay first.

Don’t be the idiot tourist who knocks someone off their scooter, looks back and decides disappearing into Bali traffic seems like the easier option.

If it’s a small scooter accident with no injuries, things can actually be pretty informal. You might look at the damage together, agree on a reasonable amount for repairs, exchange numbers and be on your way.

Once someone is injured, treat it very differently.

What happened	What to do
Minor scratch or broken mirror	You may be able to settle it between yourselves
Scooter or car needs repairs	Photograph the damage and agree on how repairs will be handled
Someone needs medical treatment	Help them get treatment and expect medical costs to become part of the discussion
Serious injury	Get medical help and contact the police
Nobody agrees on what happened	Stop trying to settle it roadside and involve the police

One thing worth knowing about scooter accidents in Bali is that people will often gather around very quickly.

I’ve experienced this myself in Bali. You can go from talking to one rider to having six or seven people standing around within a few minutes. It can be very overwhelming, more than the accident itself.

Don’t immediately assume the crowd is against you. Someone might be helping translate, another person might have witnessed the accident and half of them are probably just curious about what’s going on.

If you genuinely caused the accident, take responsibility for it. But that doesn’t mean agreeing to every amount of money you’re asked for.

For example, if you’ve scratched someone’s scooter and they suddenly want several million rupiah, ask to see what actually needs repairing. For anything substantial, get your rental company involved so you’ve got someone local helping you deal with it.

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Alcohol and Scooter Accidents in Bali

This one is completely avoidable, but it’s an easy trap to fall into, especially when it comes to Bali nightlife.

You ride your scooter somewhere for sunset, have a couple of beers, dinner turns into more drinks and now you need to get yourself and the scooter home.

Don’t. Leave the scooter and collect it tomorrow.

A few drinks might not make you feel drunk, but riding a scooter needs balance, quick reactions and good judgement. Bali then adds its own problems once the sun goes down.

Alcohol + Bali roads at night can mean:

• Slower reaction when a scooter pulls out in front of you
• Missing a pothole or patch of gravel you would normally spot
• Taking a corner faster than you should
• Bad balance at low speeds
• Not noticing a dog or pedestrian until you’re too close
• Making decisions in traffic you probably wouldn’t make sober

There’s also the travel insurance problem.

Alcohol-related scooter accidents in Bali can leave you with a very expensive bill if your travel insurance excludes the claim. That can mean paying your own medical costs on top of damage to the rental scooter and anything else you’ve hit.

If you’ve ridden to a bar or beach club and ended up drinking more than planned, lock the scooter and get a Grab, Gojek or Bali taxi home. Message the rental company if you’re worried about leaving it overnight and go back for it in the morning.

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How to Reduce Risks of Scooter Accidents in Bali

After riding scooters for years in Bali, I can tell you that you definitely develop a few habits that keep you out of trouble, even if you’ve only been riding for a few weeks.

Some are obvious, but they’re also the things I see tourists ignoring every day.

Before you even leave:

• Wear a helmet that fits properly and fasten it. PLEASE.
• Put your phone in a mount if you’re using Google Maps
• Check the tyres and brakes on a rental scooter
• Don’t ride if you’ve been drinking
• Don’t ride at all if you don’t already know how

Once you’re moving, slow down and leave yourself space. Bali traffic has a habit of changing very quickly.

A clear road can suddenly become a car pulling out, a dog crossing, someone stopping without warning or a pothole you didn’t see until the last second.

While you’re riding:

• Stay out of car and truck blind spots
• Give yourself room to brake
• Take corners slower on unfamiliar roads
• Be especially careful on wet roads
• Watch the road surface for gravel, sand and potholes
• Don’t follow local riders through gaps you’re not comfortable with

And one of the biggest things I’ve learnt here is don’t put too much faith in right of way.

You can be completely entitled to continue straight, but if a car is already creeping out of a side street, just let it go. Same with a scooter starting to turn across you.

I’d much rather lose three seconds than win an argument about who had right of way while picking myself up off the road.

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Should You Rent a Scooter in Bali?

Scooters are cheap, convenient and often one of the quickest ways to get around Bali. But with scooter accidents in Bali being quite common, that doesn’t mean renting one is the right choice for everyone.

The decision really comes down to your riding experience, where you’re staying and how you plan to spend your holiday. Don’t rent one just because scooters are everywhere and it looks easy.

Rent a Scooter If

A scooter makes sense in 2026 if you’re already a confident rider and comfortable dealing with busy traffic, narrow roads and unfamiliar conditions.

• You regularly ride scooters or motorcycles
• You have the correct licence and IDP
• Your travel insurance covers scooter riding
• You’re mainly making shorter trips
• You’re comfortable riding in heavy traffic
• You know how to handle wet roads and poor surfaces

For getting between your hotel, beaches, restaurants and nearby attractions, a scooter can be incredibly convenient.

Don’t Rent a Scooter If

If you’re learning from scratch, Bali is not the place to do it.

• You’ve never ridden a scooter or motorcycle
• You struggle with braking, cornering or slow-speed control
• Busy traffic makes you nervous
• You aren’t properly licensed or insured
• You’re planning to drink while you’re out
• You’re only renting one because everyone else seems to

There are plenty of other ways to get around. For short trips, Grab and Gojek are usually cheap and easy.

Book a Private Car and Driver

For full days exploring Bali, a private car and driver is often the better option even if you know how to ride.

It’s especially useful when you’re visiting several places, travelling longer distances, carrying bags or heading into the mountains where rain can roll in quickly.

You also get air-conditioning, somewhere secure to leave your things and one of my drivers who already knows Bali’s roads.

You don’t have to choose one form of transport for your entire holiday. Use a scooter for short local trips, Grab or Gojek for nights out, and one of my private drivers when you’re spending the day exploring.

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FAQs About Scooter Accidents in Bali

These cover some of the most common things tourists want to know in 2026 about scooter accidents in Bali, including insurance, licences, rental damage, police and what happens after a crash.

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