Mississippi bans squatted vehicles, but what are they and why are they banned?

Several states throughout the South have banned "squatted" vehicles in recent years. Now, Mississippi is included in that list.

Gov. Tate Reeves signed House bill HB349 into law that prohibits squatted vehicles from public streets and highways. The new law takes effect July 1.

Other states that have banned squatted vehicles include North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Tennessee this year enacted a similar ban, which also takes effect in July. Alabama legislators are currently considering whether to ban squatted vehicles.

Squatted vehicles — also called Carolina Squat — are those whose front fenders are 4 inches or higher than their back fenders, making the vehicles appear to be squatting. Lawmakers say the vehicles pose a danger to the driver and to others on the roads.

State Reps. Fred Shanks, R-Brandon, Mark Tullos, R-Raleigh, and Kevin Felsher, R- Biloxi, authored the bill.

"What it really comes down to is a safety issue all the way around," Shanks said.

Shanks said he started hearing from law enforcement officers, judges and concerned citizens about the dangers of the squatted vehicles.

"The front end is raised up so much so that you can't see directly in front of you," he said. "They're just not safe."

Officials in other states also cited safety issues in the modified vehicles as the reason to ban them.

One squatted truck enthusiast Will Husaar started a change.org petition in Tennessee in hopes of gathering enough support for the vehicles, but Gov. Bill Lee signed the bill into law at the end of April.

"Squatted trucks are more than just vehicles to us; they represent a culture, a lifestyle that we deeply cherish," Husaar posted on change.org. "They allow us to express our individuality and creativity while also serving as functional transportation tools.

"We understand that safety concerns may be driving this proposed ban. However, there's no concrete evidence suggesting that squatted trucks pose any greater risk than other modified vehicles on the road."

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Fines for violating the new laws vary from state to state. In Mississippi, citations will come with a $100 fine the first offense. Subsequent violations will come with higher fines. Even though the new law goes into effect July 1, the fines will not start until January, to allow squatted vehicle owners time to have their vehicles put back to their original form. Law enforcement will still issue citations, which will count toward the number of offenses when it comes to the amount of the fines.

Fines will go into the state's general fund, where it will be allocated to secondary schools to fund driver's education.

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This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Squatted trucks banned in Mississippi. What is a squatted truck?