State Rep. Ron Bolton (R-Northport) will try again in the 2025 legislative session to regulate the height of squatted trucks in Alabama.
Squatted trucks are pervasive in the South to varying degrees. Squatting involves modifying a vehicle with a lift kit on the front end and possibly lowering the suspension on the back. Often, adjustable suspensions, using inflatable bags, are used to increase the height of the suspension.
House Bill 17 (HB17) would create the Alabama Squat Truck Law, which would prohibit altering a motor vehicle so that the height of the front fender is four or more inches greater than the height of the rear fender. It would also provide penalties for a violation.
Bolton filed an identical bill in 2024. It passed the House of Representatives with relative ease after a handful of amendments that are now included in HB17. However, like many bills in 2024, the legislation never made its way to the Senate due to gridlock over a highly debated gambling package.
The bill imposes penalties of at most $50 for a first violation, not more than $100 for a second, and third and subsequent violations carry a $250 fine.
Bolton explained his concerns to 1819 News, including how some squatted trucks are angled so high in the front that the driver cannot see objects directly in front of the bumper. Additionally, Bolton said squatted trucks' headlights can often beam into the line of sight of oncoming drivers. Bolton had multiple photographs of similar truck modifications at the state house to prove his point.
Bolton's bill swiftly received backlash last year. One Daphne man, Austin Smith, began a petition to oppose HB55, already receiving over 1,100 signatures from a bevy of squatted truck enthusiasts.
"Although other states have passed the bill, it has also been with no actual data to back up the claim of safety concerns," Smith told 1819 News. "The bill seeks to ban modifications that are cited as safety hazards in opinion only. In our conversation, Representative Bolton references a singular 'near accident' that involved a squatted truck in his town. The privilege of driving involves a responsibility of remaining aware of your surroundings and driving any vehicle, modified in any way or not, requires the driver to maintain proper attention and knowledge of the vehicle. If a driver had a 'near accident' it could very likely be they were not practicing proper awareness. With thousands of squatted vehicles operating throughout the state daily, there has been no obvious need to investigate and properly analyze data that arrives at a causation. So why would there need to be a ban introduced without even the need to investigate or data arriving at the need? This is why this bill infringes on the rights of safe, aware drivers of modified vehicles that are squatted."
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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