State Rep. Ron Bolton (R-Northport) is receiving pushback over legislation he filed to regulate squatted vehicles. A petition against the bill has already received over 1,000 signatures.
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.
House Bill 55 (HB55), also known as the Alabama Squat Truck Law, would prohibit the alteration of a motor vehicle so that the height of the front fender is raised four or more inches greater than the height of the accompanying rear fender.
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.
The penalties would be at most $50 for a first violation, not more than $100 for a second, and third and subsequent violations carry a $250 fine in addition to two points on a driver's license.
Bolton amended the bill to exempt any originally manufactured vehicles and modifications or alterations for legitimate commercial or agricultural purposes.
Three states have enacted similar legislation: North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina.
HB55 swiftly received backlash from a bevy of squatted truck enthusiasts. One Daphne man, Austin Smith, began a petition to oppose HB55, already receiving over 1,100 signatures.
"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."
HB 55 has been filed in the Alabama House of Representatives, pending deliberation in the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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