(a) General. A motor vehicle shall not be operated in such a condition as to likely cause an accident or a breakdown of the vehicle.
(b) Exemption. Any motor vehicle discovered to be in an unsafe condition while being operated on the highway may be continued in operation only to the nearest place where repairs can safely be effected. Such operation shall be conducted only if it is less hazardous to the public than to permit the vehicle to remain on the highway.
Reproduced verbatim from the electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), the official U.S. government source. X3 Fleet Safety LLC is a compliance-services company, not a law firm; this page is regulatory reference, not legal advice. X3 is not affiliated with FMCSA or USDOT.