CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – Some truck owners may face consequences for changing the height of their vehicles to fit a popular trend, after a new state law just went into effect.
The so-called “Carolina Squat” has gained popularity on social media and in car communities across the Lowcountry and the South, but a new law now being enforced could mean hefty fines for truck owners.
Russ Coletti’s son owns a vehicle with the modification.
“To throw a blanket over it and say everybody’s going to be fined or they’re going to lose their licence after three warnings, tickets, is wrong,” he says.
House Bill 363 makes it illegal for South Carolinians to have vehicles with the Carolina Squat modification. It would make the Palmetto State one of three states to actively ban the modification, which is defined as driving a vehicle with a front or rear fender raised four or more inches.
“If there’s an excessive squat out there where a vehicle is 12, 14 inches and it’s a hazard, yes, we need to address that. It’s on a case by case basis,” says Coletti.
The law has been under discussion for just under a year because of concerns about safety and visibility on the road, as well as vehicle performance and operation.
“I think the four-inch difference is a little crazy because it’s not even really squat,” says truck owner Clinton Larrabee. “A lot of the vehicles with a four-inch difference have the same visibility as a truck that is six inches off the ground.”
Coletti says the modification is “built to be safe”.
“They’ve rebuilt engines, transmissions. They know what would be safe and what would be unsafe,” Coletti says.
Lowcountry vehicle owners whose vehicles have the modification say it gives them a sense of family and a way to express their personalities. They say they want the law reconsidered.
“We put so much time and effort into these vehicles, the last thing we want to do is mess them up or hurt other people,” says Marcus Duesterhaus. “Obviously you’re in a modified vehicle, so you have to be aware of what’s around you.
“It really just depends on the driver taking responsibility for their vehicle and their actions,” says Keith Williams.
“The amount of money we put into these trucks, a hobby we love, only to have them taken away,” says Louin Martin. “It’s insane.”
Law enforcement will issue warning tickets to those who violate the law until 10 May 2024. After that 180-day period, owners whose vehicles still have the modification will face the following fines:
- $100 for a first offence
- $200 for a second offence
- $300 fine and licence suspension for 12 months from the date of conviction for a third offence.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol says it plans to enforce and treat this law as it is read, and recommends doing the research to educate yourself.