Can You Drive with Damaged Bumper or Lights?

Whether you’ve dealt with a recent fender bender in Santa Monica or a collision in Beverly Hills, you might wonder if you can drive your car home with a damaged vehicle. Is it illegal to drive home without a bumper or with broken lights? The team at Eli's Collision Repair is here to explain why your car may not be safe, even if it appears to be in drivable condition.

Is It Illegal to Drive Home Without a Bumper?

In the state of California, your vehicle must have front and rear bumpers. That means you can receive legal trouble for driving home to South Bay after receiving major damage. Why? The bumpers are designed to absorb shock in case of a crash. If you get into another accident without this vital component, you won’t be protected against impact– which can result in serious injury and additional vehicle damage.

What Should I Do After a Collision?

Following a collision, law enforcement will be called into the scene to take an accident report. They will assess your level of damage and let you know whether or not your vehicle is safe enough to drive back home. If your vehicle is not deemed to be structurally sound, you may call a towing service to bring your car to the nearest body shop for your front bumper replacement. But even if your car is found to be safe enough to drive home, that doesn’t mean it’s safe for long-term driving without an inspection.

Collision Damage Checklist

You’ll need to visit a qualified body shop for a professional inspection following any accident. That’s because your car may be hiding more serious damage under the surface, and you may not be able to spot it upon first glance. However, we do recommend inspecting your car to take inventory of any obvious damage in common areas like the following:

 

• Lights: Broken headlights and tail lights are common after impact, and damaged lighting can earn you a ticket on the road.

 

• Wheels and Tires: Flat tires will require immediate repair, but bent tires and wheels are also common. They might indicate problems with the tire or wheel themselves or larger components, like the axels or suspension.

• Windshield: Broken windshields can distort your vision, leaving your vehicle unsafe to operate. Even a small crack can eventually grow to a larger problem without immediate repair.

• Mirrors: Mirrors are another common source of damage after an accident, and mirrors are essential to your car’s safety. You can’t legally operate your car without one or more rearview mirrors in tact.

• License Plate: Check to make sure your license plate is still readable. Even if it fell off in a collision, you must display it in some way as you drive home.

 

Get your Front Bumper Replacement at Eli’s Collision Repair

Want a quote for a cracked bumper repair cost? Interested in hail damage repair? No matter your automotive issue, the team at Eli’s Collision Repair is happy to help. Contact us to learn more about our services, and visit us in near West LA!