Drivers, mechanics prepare as ‘Carolina Squat’ grace period comes to an end
MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - South Carolina drivers have only a week left before having a squatted vehicle could cost them more than just a warning.
The grace period for the ‘Carolina Squat’ ends next Friday, May 10, meaning authorities will start issuing tickets instead of warnings for vehicles with front fenders four or more inches above the rear.
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James Brown, a manager at Blacks Tire and Auto Service says he has never been a fan of the Carolina Squat.
“We did have people come in and ask to squat their truck. I personally would not do it because it is not safe,” said Brown.
Brown says not only does squatting a vehicle cause visibility issues for the driver, but it is also tough on a vehicle’s motor and transmission.
When the Carolina Squat ban officially went into effect in November, he told WMBF News he was relieved.
He says he doesn’t get people asking about squatting anymore and instead gets the opposite.
“We’re getting some people coming in wanting us to level their trucks so they’re not squatted anymore,” he said.
Mechanics aren’t the only people seeing fewer squatting enthusiasts.
Master Cpl. George Johnson with the Myrtle Beach Police Department says since November, he has only issued two warnings. But this doesn’t mean he hasn’t been having conversations with drivers who don’t understand why the law is in place.
“I believe the education part of it is just as important as anything else,” said Johnson. “Whenever I talk to them, they’re like, ‘yeah, I’ve had trouble trying to make that right-hand turn’ or ‘I’ve been up on a car and not been able to see them,’ and again, that’s what we’ve looked at the whole time, is the safety aspect of the issue.”
Johnson says when the grace period ends, officers will pull people over if the squat on their vehicle is obvious. But, he also anticipates people receiving tickets for squatting when they have been stopped for something else first.
Regardless of how it happens, he says he wants everyone to know officers only have safety in mind.
“It’s not about trying to change anybody’s way of thinking or self-expression, because that’s not what we’re here for,” said Johnson.
The first time you are ticketed for a squatted vehicle, you could be fined $100, but if you do it more than once, that number will go up.
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