A truck modification on the highways and byways of North and South Carolina is squatting trucks. While this is popular with some, this will soon be illegal in North Carolina and, if not quickly corrected, could land you in traffic court, where you could lose your driver’s license.
If you have considered squatting your truck lately, think again. With the changes in the law, you may find yourself quickly undoing the modifications. Learn more in this brief overview.
What Is Truck Squatting?
Squatting is when you modify your truck’s suspension so the truck’s front elevates more than the rear, which gives the vehicle the appearance of squatting or sagging. This practice in North Carolina is referred to as the Carolina Squat.
Driving while impaired can potentially lead to traffic fines and the loss of driving privileges. Impairment can mean drunk driving, but it is more than alcohol that can cause an officer to initiate a stop. Many seemingly harmless actions can also cause drivers to appear impaired. Here are a few things to think about before getting behind the wheel.
Get More Sleep
Falling asleep while driving or being too tired to react safely to common situations on the road could also cause a stop for impaired driving. Life is often busy, and long work hours or other responsibilities can make it impossible to get enough rest. The law requires every driver to be safe behind the wheel regardless of their schedule.
Look for alternatives to driving home after a long day. Consider public transportation or call someone for a ride. Avoid non-stop road trips when long-distance driving. Either share the driving responsibilities with someone else or plan to stop every few hours to rest and refresh before continuing.
Approximately 16,438 auto accidents take place daily in the United States, resulting in significant damage and mountains of paperwork. Car crashes are a prominent cause of personal injury and vary in the location, vehicles involved, severity, and impact on the individual’s life.
The type of accident that has occurred can help establish who is at fault while its severity and scope of injuries determine a claim’s worth. Learn seven types of auto accidents so you can file your auto accident claim confidently.
The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has the mandate to revoke or suspend your license depending on a few factors like age, traffic offenses, or medical conditions. This means that once your license is revoked or suspended, you can’t legally operate a vehicle as your license is now invalid.
Note that license revocation is not the same as suspension, as one is a permanent action while the other is temporary. Read about the differences between a suspended license and a revoked license below.
What Is a Suspended Driver’s License?
A suspended driver’s license means the driver’s license is invalid over a temporary period, and while it’s invalid, you can’t legally drive.
Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs can increase the risk of accidents. Not only do drugs and alcohol slow your reaction times, but they hinder your decision-making ability. If you would like to know more, check out these four commonly asked questions about DWI.
1. Will Your License Be Suspended?
In North Carolina, your license may be suspended for six months after a DWI, but it can be taken away for longer if you have multiple DWIs or were grossly negligent. You can usually get a hardship license, which allows you to drive to certain places, such as work, school, court-ordered treatment, community service, and church.
When it comes to crimes, there are many different levels and categories. One of the most basic ways crimes are categorized is through felony and misdemeanor classifications. If you would like to learn more about misdemeanors vs. felonies, keep reading.
Types of Misdemeanors
In North Carolina, misdemeanors are categories into four different groups: Class A1, Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3. Class A1 misdemeanors are the most serious offenses. They include domestic violence, assault, sexual battery, using a deadly weapon, etc. Class 3 offenses are less serious and include crimes like shoplifting.
Traffic violations are common, and nearly every driver has committed at least one. However, some traffic violations come with severe consequences, and the more traffic violations you rack up, the more consequences you may face. If you would like to learn more, check out these four possible consequences of traffic violations in North Carolina.
1. Fines
Traffic violations nearly always come with a fine, but the exact amount depends on the violation and the location of the violation. In North Carolina, however, there is an absolute speed limit, so even if you go one mile over the speed limit, you may get a ticket and fine. In most cases, the fine is $100 to $1,000.
Have you been injured on property that’s rented by another party? If so, one important part of securing the compensation you deserve for your injuries is to understand how premises liability relates to rented property. Premises liability is at the heart of who the law holds responsible for injuries and how to build a convincing case for damages. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is Premises Liability?
Premises liability is the area of injury law that decides who is responsible for what happens on a piece of property. Because the owner of a property is considered to have a legal duty to care for the property and those on it, they may be held liable for accidents on the property. However, this liability is not a blanket coverage. It has exceptions as to who is covered and what can be included.
Possession of illegal drugs can lead to serious penalties, including fines and imprisonment, depending on the severity of the infraction, the drugs involved, the previous record of the offender, and other key circumstances in the case. Criminal drug possession may count as either a misdemeanor or a felony under North Carolina law.
If you find yourself charged with possession of a controlled substance in North Carolina, you need to understand what kind of charge you face, your legal defense options, and strategies for obtaining an optimal outcome. Start by considering the following frequently asked questions regarding drug possession charges.
How Does North Carolina Law Classify Different Controlled Substances?
Police officers are supposed to protect and serve the public, but everyone makes mistakes, including the most professional officers. These mistakes can often be used to help reduce your charges or even get your case thrown out entirely. If you would like to know more, check out these four common mistakes made by police.
1. Illegal Stops
An officer can’t just pull you over for no reason; they need reasonable suspicion. Therefore, if you are following all the laws of the road, an officer can’t just pull you over for no reason. However, if you are swerving, speeding, etc., they now have reasonable suspicion to pull you over. For example, just because an officer sees you leaving a bar, they can’t pull you over to see if you’re driving drunk. They would need to see signs of drunk driving first like swerving to lawfully stop you.
Police officers are supposed to protect and serve the public, but everyone makes mistakes, including the most professional officers. These mistakes can often be used to help reduce your charges or even get your case thrown out entirely. If you would like to know more, check out these four common mistakes made by police.