South Carolina provided a six month grace period for drivers and now it’s about to start issuing tickets that could lead to a suspended license
April 24, 2024 at 13:33
- South Carolina passed a law banning ‘Carolina Squatted’ trucks last year.
- On May 10, the law goes into full effect after a six-month grace period.
- Violators will lose their license for a year if found guilty of three offenses.
It’s been about six months since South Carolina’s very own ‘Carolina Squat’ law went into effect. During this time, police have only issued warnings to drivers sporting the odd modification. However, starting on May 10th, that leniency will come to an end. Offenders will now face triple-digit fines and potentially the loss of their license as well.
The ‘Carolina Squat’ is a modification where the owner lifts the front of the vehicle and sometimes lowers the rear as well. It results in a heavily raked vehicle with what some call glaring safety concerns. Drivers of Carolina Squat vehicles don’t have the same view of the road that most do since their cars point skyward.
More: North Carolina Police Spotted Measuring Cars For The Infamous Carolina Squat
Now, those who still drive a vehicle with the Carolina Squat mod in South Carolina face a $100 fine beginning on May 10. A second violation results in a $200 fine. Get caught a third time within a year and the fine bumps up to $300 and the driver loses their license for 12 months.
According to the law, no front fender can be more than four inches above the height of the rear fender. Myrtle Beach police Cpl. George Johnson tells WBTW that the law is the result of several accidents. “What we kept noticing was, we were having several collisions where either a driver would approach a stop sign and not see the vehicle in front of them, or as they were traveling along, they didn’t see a vehicle stopped,” Johnson said.
“On several of the collisions I worked on, it was like a sports car versus a squatted truck. From a reasonable distance — about 30 feet — once we went that additional inch… you couldn’t see the top of the Mustang,” he continued. “And at that distance, you could barely see a child.”
Authorities in the area are doing everything they can to help citizens understand the law going into effect. The South Carolina Department of Safety offered a ‘friendly reminder’ about it and the Woodruff Police Department also posted saying that “fines begin” on May 10. Notably, the Carolina Squat is already banned in North Carolina and Virginia.