My mom got into a fender bender and she has to pay 300 dollers to fix it. l asked why cant u just leave it broken? Does the car still run fine? She said it still works. l said, then why do you have to get it repaired, she said because its illegal to drive around with a smashed up car. l asked why, she said she didnt know.

And that leads me here. Note she cant sue because it was her fault re backed up into anouther car.

If the lights are broken then, yes, it is illegal to drive. A dented fender does not make it illegal to drive, but all lights must be working properly and the stop and tail lights cannot emit white light from a broken lens.

As long as all the lights, etc r working & it can safely pass inspection, it is not illegal to drive it. Now, if the vehicle is financed, it may be a requirement of the financing that the vehicle is repaired in a timely manner if it is damaged. The finance company would want to keep the loan collateral in good condition. This is also why finance companies require that u carry full coverage insurance. Also, I've heard of some (extremely AR) apartment communities & home-owners' associations that require u to keep ur vehicle repaired & in good cosmetic condition in order to park it on the property. Do not know if any of this applies to ur situation, but they're all the ideas l can come up with! :-)