what do you think when you see a truck or large SUV with the rear end lowered and the front end raised? You might think this modification looks cool and is worth showing off. Many drivers that apply this change to their vehicle also put on cool wheels, lights, loud exhausts, and attractive paint schemes to take these modified models to car shows.

On the other hand, you might think this modification dangerous and unattractive. Regardless of what you think of this change, trucks and SUVs with the Carolina Squat are illegal to drive in some areas.

What is the Carolina Squat?

In its simplest form, the Carolina Squat is a modification that raises the front of the truck higher than the rear. According to James Gilboy of The Drive, this change allows the truck or SUV to appear to “scoot along like a dog scratching its butt.” While this change takes away much of what makes a truck useful, this change has a huge following, and some car shows feature a parade of squatted vehicles driving down the road.

Virginia Joins North Carolina in banning the Carolina Squat

This vehicle modification was widespread in North Carolina, the first state to ban the change. Until last fall, there weren’t any regulations limiting how much a vehicle could be altered and still legal to drive. North Carolina placed limits on the Carolina Squat last year, and now, after a fatal accident, Virginia has joined the ban of this modification.

In response to an accident that killed Jody “BJ” Upton Jr., a 27-year-old father from the Mecklenburg area, Virginia Governor Glen Younkin signed Senate Bill 777 into immediate law on Monday, March 21. According to ABC 13 News Richmond, VA, the Upton family was present when the bill unanimously passed into law.

How does the Virginia bill limit squatted trucks and SUVs?

This new bill gives authorities in Virginia the right to pull over any vehicle with the Carolina Squat modification. If the front bumper is more than four inches higher than the rear bumper, that vehicle authorities can immediately tow it away as a traffic violation and danger to other drives.

Why are squatted trucks illegal?

When the front of a vehicle is raised to extreme angles, it impedes the driver’s visibility. They can’t see the road from a comfortable place and use the entire windshield. Some squatted vehicles are so extreme that the driver must look out the side window to see what’s going on. Additionally, the headlights point toward the sky instead of out in front where they should be. The accident that killed BJ Upton Jr. was a crash with a driver of a squatted truck.

Are other states considering a ban on the Carolina Squat?

Virginia is the second state to ban extremely squatted trucks, following North Carolina. A third state has this issue in its state senate as well. South Carolina is considering a ban on this modification, which would change things in the trio of states.

To be completely clear, vehicle owners can still lift the front of a truck or SUV and lower the rear, but the distance is no longer unlimited. In Virginia, the limit is four inches, which is the same as North Carolina. This allows a slight modification, but you won’t see extremely squatted trucks on public roads in these two states any longer.