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In order to curb the spread of the infamous “Carolina Squat”, North Carolina recently enacted a bill that forbids owners from doing it to their vehicle. Now, state police has been spotted actively measuring vehicles to check for illegal amounts of squat, with a series of photos shared to Facebook showing a North Carolina police officer taking a tape measure to a squatted Toyota 4Runner.
For those unfamiliar, the Carolina Squat refers to an unusual modification in which owners will modify their suspension so the front of their vehicle, typically a truck or SUV, rides significantly higher than the rear. The trend is often accompanied by grossly oversized wheels, resulting in a very distinctive (albeit unattractive) look.
Read More: Is There Any Data Behind North Carolina’s Proposal To Ban Squatted Trucks?
More important than looks, though, is the concern of safety. First off, with such a heavily canted vehicle, the handling is borderline ruined, reducing the likelihood of successful evasive maneuvers in emergency situations. Additionally, pointing the front of the vehicle so high up significantly reduces visibility, which could lead to accidents if the driver can’t see the cars in front of them. And finally, if an accident does occur, whatever the squatted vehicle hits will get wedged underneath it instead of striking the front or rolling off the top.
See Also: Virginia Passes Law To Ban ‘Carolina Squat’ Trucks
According to North Carolina’s new bill, the front of any vehicle can be no higher than four inches above the rear. More specifically, an offense will be incurred “if the suspension, frame, or chassis, the height of the front fender is 4 or more inches greater than the height of the rear fender.” And they’re not messing around with this rule, either. Drivers found with an illegal amount of squat on their vehicle run the risk of losing their license for a year.
In the case of this 4Runner, though, just by looking of it, we’d say the measuring was more of a formality than anything else.