If you’re moving slowly in the left lane, it’s time to move over or get a ticket, especially in South Carolina. The move right or slowpoke law is officially going into effect with the purpose of getting people to move out of the way. 

New South Carolina law gets slowpokes out of the way 

South Carolina’s move right law has officially taken effect as of Sunday, August 15th. Meaning if you’re cruising in the left lane through Columbia, on the way to Myrtle Beach, etc., it’s time to move out of the left lane. 

The new law bans people from driving too slowly in the left lane and requires them to move over, allowing faster traffic to pass. This law makes sense. People often find themselves unable to move around semi-trucks, campers, or slower vehicles in the right lane because someone is just cruising slowly in the left lane. 

This can impact traffic flow, lead to road rage, and cause people to pass vehicles on the right, which is dangerous. James Miller from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety shared that moving over cuts down on traffic flow and keeps a lane open for emergency responders if needed. It also reduces road rage. 

You have time to adjust 

This new law only applies to South Carolina interstates and highways. Also, the law is not being implemented to create an excuse for speeding. Speed limits are will out there, and they will continue to be enforced. 

During the first 90 days, police will only warn the turtles clogging up the left lane. Then those warnings will turn into tickets around the middle of November, just in time for the influx of holiday travel. The tickets will be similar to a seatbelt ticket. 

South Carolina transportation officials would like to remind drivers to stay alert. You can avoid the fines by being aware of your surroundings, the speed limit, and the speed of the vehicles around you. 

To help drivers remember this new move right law, the department of transportation will install new signs along highways to remind people. The SCDOT will also install new overhead message boards. 

The Southern Squat is also out 

You can’t camp in the left lane in South Carolina anymore, and you also can’t have a southern squat in North Carolina. Well, this is as long as your squatted lift isn’t too extreme. To be clear, the southern squat began in Califonia and is also referred to as the Cali Lean. 

It refers to a vehicle, and most commonly trucks, that is modified in a way to where the front end is lifted, and the rear is lowered. The squat makes trucks pretty much useless in terms of performance or for carrying cargo. Plus, it reduces visibility over the hood. 

To pass in North Carolina, the truck shall not be elevated or lowered in the front or back by more than six inches. But you don’t want this look. It increases aerodynamic drag making your fuel economy worse, and can cause the suspension to become unbalanced.