Regulation enforcement officers in South Carolina will start issuing tickets to autos with the so-called “Carolina Squat” modification on Might 10. Whereas the follow of lifting the entrance finish of a automobile has been unlawful for months, the state has given out warnings since saying the ban.
Broadly talking, “squatting” a automobile refers to lifting the entrance finish with out lifting the rear finish. Formally, the South Carolina Division of Public Security defines a “squatted” automobile as one “with a front or rear fender raised four or more inches higher than the other.” When you can theoretically “squat” something with two axles, this modifications is extra generally seen on pickups and SUVs than on, say, a minivan.
South Carolina lawmakers from each side of the political aisle banned the Carolina Squat as a consequence of security issues. Dialing in much more floor clearance up entrance than out again offers the motive force a compromised view of the street, they argued, so it is simple to overlook objects corresponding to different automobiles, cyclists, and pedestrians. And, with out the suitable modifications the headlights danger blinding oncoming motorists. North Carolina and Virginia have already banned the modification, whereas Tennessee introduced a ban on what’s regionally often known as the Tennessee Tilt in April 2024. Oddly, the petition to ban the vehicles in The Volunteer State gathered far fewer signatures than the petition to stop the ban.
The ban in South Carolina was introduced on November 12, 2023, however regulation enforcement officers had been instructed to difficulty warnings reasonably than tickets for six months to offer drivers time to make their automobile compliant. In principle, these modifications aren’t irreversible. Time’s up, nonetheless. Beginning on Might 10, first-time offenders will obtain a $100 fantastic, second-time offenders will get a $200 fantastic, and third-time offenders will probably be fined $300. People caught driving a squatted automobile for the third time may even lose their driver’s license for one yr.